


Literal "sugar" daddy

by Lynn1998



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ADHD Lance, Angst, College AU, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Rape, Pedophilia mention, Smut, Sugar Daddy AU, Trans Boy Keith, Trans Girl Pidge, abuse mention, theyre in college and Keith buys Lance a lot of sweets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-17 09:37:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 65,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8139293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn1998/pseuds/Lynn1998
Summary: Lance loves food and guess who's willing to buy it for him?





	1. Is this a chapter???

**Author's Note:**

> Hello
> 
> This is trash
> 
> Thank you for the read

     Hunk stared blankly at Lance as the skinny boy sipped his milkshake. He walked in to their dorm with a sly smile along with an iconic slurping sound from his cup. It wasn't a small one either. It was a larger one from the more expensive restaurants nearby. Hunk watched his roommate and longtime best friend make his way inside and take off his sunglasses. He grinned.

"Sup?" Lance greeted and slurped again. Hunk blinked.

"Did you…get a milkshake without me?" Hunk asked. Lance shook his head.

" _I_ didn't get a milkshake," he said. Hunk raised a brow. "Someone else got a milkshake for me."

"Who?"

"My sugar daddy," Lance announced proudly and took another sip. Hunk's eyes widened and he nearly fell off of his top bunk.

"Your _what?_ "

"My sugar daddy," Lance repeated.

"Who in the world would be _your_  sugar daddy?" Hunk questioned. Lance frowned and put his hand on his hip.

"Rude," he said shortly and slurped again. Hunk sighed.

"I mean…who was lucky enough to be your sugar daddy?" Hunk rephrased unenthusiastically. Lance crossed his arms.

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, but I'll tell you anyway." He slurped. "Keith."

"Keith?"

"Keith."

"You mean the emo guy in your psychology class?"

"Yup. That's the one," Lance confirmed. He slurped.

"How the hell is he your sugar daddy? Does he like have rich parents? If so why would he go to a community college?" Hunk asked. Lance chuckled.

"Hunk, it's a joke. He's not a rich bachelor buying me fancy things in exchange for a relationship. He just buys me a lot of sugar," Lance told him. Hunk frowned.

"Are you serious?" He deadpanned. Lance shook his milkshake and smirked.

"Oh yeah. He took me to the best milkshake joint after class today, and last class he got me some cake from that one bakery with the pink wallpaper," Lance told him.

"How did this happen though? I thought you hated him."

"Eh," Lance said and set down his cup on their nightstand to peel off his jacket.

"What do you mean by 'eh'?"

"I mean…he's not as bad as I thought. I used to think he was _annoying_ , but I dunno if I _hated_  him. 'Cause hate is a pretty strong word and-"

"Lance you've literally told me, and I quote, 'I hate Keith and his stupid mullet', at least five times," Hunk interrupted. Lance glared at Hunk.

"Well I was wrong. He's not so bad," Lance replied and put his jacket in the closet. Hunk rolled his eyes.

"Okay, but how did this…thing you have with him…start?" He asked. Lance shrugged.

"I'm not sure really. I guess one day we were kinda talking after class and he bought me one of the candy bars from the snack machine. After that it kinda took off," Lance replied.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Uh…almost…mm," he trailed off and mumbled down at his feet as he sat down in their singular chair.

"Almost…what?"

"Almost the…whole…mmmm," he trailed off again and hunched up his shoulders to hide his mouth. Hunk frowned.

"Lance."

"Almost the entire term," he said in a small voice. Hunk's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?"

"Uh…yeah?"

"What then hell! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He demanded to know.

"I dunno I guess it just never came up!"

"We're buddies, Lance! Buddies tell each other everything! How could you hide this from me?" Hunk cried.

"I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!" Lance said jumping up from his chair and rushing to Hunk's bunk.

"I don't think I'll be able to forgive you for this!" Hunk spat dramatically.

"Nooooooooooo! I'm sorry!" Lance sobbed as he grabbed on to the edge of the bunk.

"…unless you're willing to give me the rest of your milkshake," Hunk said. Lance sighed and grabbed his cup. He handed the rest of it to Hunk, and his roommate grinned before taking a sip.

"Okay. I think I can forgive you now," Hunk said. Lance rolled his eyes and leaned his elbows on the bunk.

"Whatever."

"So are you dating him-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, I am _not_ dating Keith. What in the world made you think I was dating him? Like ew! As if. That's gross," Lance blurted defensively. Hunk blinked at him and slurped.

"Well…usually a sugar daddy buys someone a lot of stuff in exchange for sex…so…"

"Wait, really? I thought it was just for a relationship or something," Lance replied. Hunk shrugged.

"Eh, it could be strictly platonic, romantic, or sexual. Depends on what the daddy wants," Hunk replied.

"Ew never say that again," Lance cringed.

"So you're not dating him? He's just buying you all this food because…he's a nice guy?" Hunk asked.

"Maybe. I dunno. He might just be lonely. Like he's okay to talk to, so I'm not opposed to being his friend. Especially if he keeps buying me the good shit," Lance said. 

"And you don't like him in that way?" Hunk asked in an almost disbelieving tone. Lance shook his head.

"Nope. Don't like him at all," he replied.

"Okay then," Hunk hummed. He sipped the milkshake again as Lance pursed his lips in boredom.

"No attraction at all?"

"None."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Completely and strictly minor friendship."

"Even if he has a cute butt?"

"I mean it's kinda flat. I dunno if I'd say _crazy_  cute-I mean I don't look at his butt! I wouldn't know!" Lance snapped.

"Ha!" Hunk laughed and poked lance's nose. "You totally like him."

"I do not! I just spend so much time behind him while he orders food for me that I just naturally look at it. It's totally normal!" Lance defended. Hunk shook his head.

"Nah dude. You like Keith."

"Do not," Lance grumbled.

"Do too," Hunk argued. Lance glared at his roommate.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do to-DO NOT!" Lance corrected himself loudly. Hunk laughed again and laid back on his back. "That's not fair! You tricked me!"

"I can't believe you still fall for that!" Hunk cackled. Lance growled and stormed back to the chair to pout.

"I don't like him," he mumbled. Hunk only continued to laugh.

"You totally do-" he was cut off as he accidentally rolled over to far and fell off the top bunk. "Oooh…shit."

"Ha!" Now Lance was the one laughing.

"Shut up…"

 

* * *

 

"Do you want two scoops or three?" Keith asked.

"Three," Lance replied mindlessly as he typed a text to Hunk.

"I don't know why I even asked," Keith hummed and then continued to order their ice cream.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lance challenged putting his phone away.

"It means you're a bottomless pit. Seriously, I'm feeding you like five hundred calories after every class and it's like it just goes right through you," Keith told him.

"I've always had a fast metabolism, dude. I'm a tough guy to feed," Lance replied. The cashier handed them their ice cream and Keith pulled out his wallet to pay for it.

"So I've learned," Keith said and held his bowl. 

     Lance immediately attacked his cone and ignored what Keith had said as they made their way to one of the tables inside the restaurant. The pale boy smiled at Lance struggling not to drip ice cream on himself, and idly spooned at his own mound of frozen cream. Lance, of course, was oblivious to Keith's adoring smile and took his slight chuckle as a sign that he was being teased. He glared up at Keith and gave his cold treat a rest.

"What?" He demanded flatly. Keith shook his head and grabbed a napkin.

"You're a total slob," he said as he gently grabbed Lance's chin and wiped the chocolate away from his cheeks and lips. Lance blushed as Keith finished up and then took a bite of his own ice cream.

"…uh…thanks…dude," he stammered. Keith nearly chocked on his little plastic spoon. He coughed and then laughed.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

"I'm…" Keith coughed again. "I'm fine," he assured Lance with a smiled.

"Okay good. I didn't wanna have to like call an ambulance or anything," he replied. Keith nodded and chuckled a little.

"Yeah, don't worry _bro_ ," he snickered. Lance frowned.

"Did…I miss something?" He asked. Keith looked up at him.

"Uh I dunno. Did you?"

"Maybe. I dunno," Lance muttered.

     Keith shrugged and they continued eating their ice cream in silence. Lance felt a little bit awkward, but eventually focused his efforts in finishing his ice cream cone. Keith finished before him, but that wasn't hard considering he had a single scoop in a bowl compared to Lance's three scoops in a waffle cone. They chatted a little bit when Keith finished and Lance was almost done, but it was only small stuff about homework and class and whatever. Lance could feel his phone buzzing every now and then and he knew it was Hunk trying to bother him about Keith. He ignored it and instead enjoyed the conversation he was having with Keith.

     Once Lance was finally finished they walked out to Keith's car. He drove them back to campus and walked him back to his dorm. For some reason Lance felt nervous again. It wasn't like this was new. Sure Keith didn't _always_  walk him back to his dorm, but when he did Lance never felt this nervous. He stood awkwardly outside his dorm room and Keith stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks for uh…having ice cream with me," Keith murmured.

"Why are you thanking me? You're the one who bought me a ridiculous amount of ice cream," Lance replied.

"Well you didn't have to spend time with me, and I enjoyed your company," Keith said. Lance blushed and smiled a little.

"Y-yeah?" He stuttered a little. Keith nodded.

"Yeah. So uh…thank you," he said again. Lance's smile widened a little.

"You already said thanks," he reminded Keith. The pale boy chuckled and nervously ran his hand through his hair.

"Sorry. Um…" he didn't finish his sentence and instead looked up at Lance.

     For some reason Lance didn't go inside. His heart raced and he leaned against the door. Was Keith always this pretty? Like his eyes didn't look so deep before, and his hair didn't look as touchable as it did now. Was Lance just realizing this or has he always seen Keith this way? Maybe Hunk was right…

     No. No no no no no no. No way. Nu-uh. Not happening. There's no way Lance liked Keith. That was just unheard of. Keith? No. That's just gross. He's like totally emo, and he's moody, and he's got a flat ass, but he's got nice legs and his hair looks kinda cool and his lips might be a _little bit_ kissable and…wait no this isn't right. This was the opposite of what Lance was supposed to be thinking. Keith is bad. Bad dating partner. Not good at all. Too emo and bitchy with good taste in confectionary goods but awful taste in skinny jeans. And like it's kinda cute that he's barely an inch shorter than Lance, but that's beside the point…what was the point again?

     The point didn't matter any more, Lance totally forgot about everything anyways when Keith stepped a little closer. He felt himself flatten against his door, but didn't move away any more. Keith hesitated a little and bit his lip before leaning closer and tilting his head to fit with Lance's.

     Lance was well aware he could've pulled away. He knew he could've just slipped away and awkwardly enter his apartment to escape Keith's impending kiss. His brain was functioning enough for him to realize he was fully capable of telling Keith no. He knew all of that, and yet he stayed still as Keith's lips brushed against his. Well, maybe he wasn't _completely_  still. He _might've_ leaned his forward as well, and he _might've_ moved off his door a little bit to be closer to Keith. But that was all. He definitely didn't follow Keith's mouth when he pulled back, and he _would never_  stare at his _slightly_ kissable lips so stupidly after he did so.

 

     Except he did, and then Keith was smiling at him.

 

"I'll see you in class," he said. Lance couldn't speak. He could only blush deeper and nod his head as he backed away a little. His heel collided with his door and he scared himself by the sudden sound.

"Y-yeah! C-class! I-I'll see you," Lance blurted and then cleared his throat. His voice cracked and Keith chuckled.

"I can't wait," he said. Lance's heart skipped a beat and he could physically feel himself struggle to process what the hell just happened. He reached for his door knob and yanked his door open.

"I can't wait either! Goodbye!" Lance shouted and quickly entered his dorm room.

     Before he could see Keith's reaction he slammed the door behind him and held it closed with his back. His chest heaved as he almost hyperventilated. Hunk was in their singular chair looking up at Lance with a book in his hands. He had an unimpressed expression on his face as he dog-eared his book.

"So. What's up?" Hunk asked. Lance looked at him with wide eyes.

"I think Keith is _actually_  my sugar daddy."


	2. Why is Lance so bad at things????

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has a problem and it's called not having a fucking backbone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP so I guess this is multichaptered

"What do you mean he's your 'literal' sugar daddy?" Hunk asked.

"I mean…" Lance glanced at the door he was still leaning on, and then back at Hunk. "I-I mean these after class 'treat' things…might've actually been dates this entire time," he confessed. Hunk was silent for a moment and looked down at his book. Lance waited for his response still leaning on the door.

"Did you…did you seriously just figure this out?" Hunk questioned returning his disappointed gaze at Lance. The skinny boy gave a sheepish frown and avoided the other's eyes.

"Uh…yes?"

"You're an idiot, Lance."

"Hey!"

"So what happened that made you realize that it was actually a date? Did he try to hold your hand or something?" Hunk asked crossing his arms. Lance blushed and looked down at his toes.

"N-no…well…I dunno," he mumbled.

"I cannot hear what you are saying," Hunk told him. Lance groaned and covered his face with his hands.

"I'm so stupid! Ugh!"

"Lance, what happened?"

"He…h-he kissed me!" Lance blurted with a red face. Hunk raised his brows in mild surprise.

"Wow, and you let him?"

"N-n-no! I-I did not! I was just too nervous when I realized what he was doing!" Lance snapped tearing his palms away from his bright red face. Hunk only raised one brow this time. Lance pouted and glared at the ground with folded arms. "I-it wasn't even a good kiss anyways…"

"Okay…so this whole term, you've been unknowingly going on dates with Keith, and it took him kissing you for you to get that?"

"Yeah."

"The guy buying you sweets and food on a regular basis kissed you and you're surprised by this?" Hunk questioned. Lance was quiet. "Let me see your phone."

"What? No," Lance said immediately. Hunk held out his hand and Lance sighed. He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it before handing it to Hunk.

"Thank you," he said and accepted it.

"I dunno why you wanna see it. You're not gonna see a lot of stuff. We rarely text if that's what you're looking for. I mean there was that one time we had a long- _ish_ conversation, but-"

"Lance, Keith has been flirting with you this whole time," Hunk announced.

"W-w-w-w- _what?_ " Lance stuttered. Hunk showed him the phone.

"He's a little subtle, but it's kinda obvious. He sounds a little shy, but this stuff like 'I'll see you tomorrow smiley face', 'those pants look really nice on you', and 'I can't wait to take you to this restaurant' are all kinda flirty," Hunk informed him. Lance snatched back his phone.

"T-that wasn't flirting, okay? He's just enthusiastic about restaurants, and those pants really _do_ look nice on me!"

"Okay, but he said he couldn't wait to take _you_ to the restaurant. That means he's probably already been to that restaurant and wanted to specifically take _you_  to it. That's pretty flirty," Hunk replied. Lance shook his head.

"No way. It's not that obvious."

"It should've been obvious when he offered to pay. I mean he's obviously trying to woo you."

"I am not being wooed!"

"Lance, Keith literally just kissed you. It's a little too late to deny this," Hunk reminded him. Lance pouted again. "And by the looks of it he's been kinda successful."

"Oh please, I am not that easy. He can't buy my time with food," Lance scoffed.

"It seems he has been this entire term considering you hated him and his 'stupid mullet'," Hunk replied using his fingers as air quotes.

"It's still a stupid mullet and him buying me food has nothing to do with my lack of hatred for him."

"Uh-huh. Sure, Lance," Hunk nodded and turned back to his book.

"C'mon, Hunk, I need your help," Lance whined. He got down on his knees and crawled over to his best friend. He pressed his head against Hunk's knee like a cat and flopped on the floor in front of him. Hunk sighed and put his book down again.

"What do you need help with?" He groaned. Lance popped up and leaned his elbows on Hunk's knees.

"How do I fix this?" Lance asked desperately.

"Break up with him," Hunk replied bluntly.

"I can't just break up with him! He's probably madly in love with me! I may be a heart breaker because of my good looks, but I'm not a monster."

"Oh my god, Lance. Uh…tell him you didn't realize these were dates and ask if you guys can stay friends," Hunk suggested instead. Lance shook his head.

"No way. Keith would die of embarrassment, and then _I_  would die because he would kill me for letting him make a fool of himself."

"Damn, I dunno? Just fucking break up with him," Hunk sighed.

"You're right. I should spare him the pain of falling for me anymore…next time I see him I'll break up with him. I'll go easy on him. Tell him, 'it's not you, it's me', and then let him cry on my shoulder a little bit. Yeah…it won't be so bad…" Lance narrated out loud, but Hunk was ignoring him again. "…wait, what if he begs me for a second chance?"

"Tell him it's not his fault or whatever. I seriously doubt he would, Lance," Hunk said with a tinge of annoyance.

"Okay, rude. Of course he'd beg for me back-"

"Lance…just break up with him. Simple as that," Hunk interrupted.

"But-"

"Ah-bup-bup!" Hunk silenced Lance and pressed a finger to his lips.

"Just. Break. Up. With. Keith…got it?" Lance nodded. "Good…"

     Hunk removed his finger from Lance's face and leaned back in their singular chair. He reopened his book and settled back to enjoy it once more. Lance was silent for a moment and tapped his fingers on Hunk's knees.

"Okay, but what if-"

"Shut up."

 

* * *

 

     Lance stood outside his psychology classroom. He was struggling to take deep breaths and was pacing around in a peculiar circle. He shook his hands and jumped around a little bit to get out the energy, and a couple of his classmates gave him funny looks as they entered the classroom. He didn't pay them any mind and instead peeked inside. Great. Keith was there. He was sat at their usual spot flipping through the text book. How scholarly.

"Okay, Lance. You can do this," he took a deep breath. "Just…go in there, and tell him…'I'm breaking up with you'," he muttered to himself.

     He took one last deep breath and entered the classroom. The way Keith's face lit up when he saw Lance enter the room shouldn't be allowed. It made Lance feel way worse about what he was about to do, and the smile that slowly spread over that pale face was teetering on adorable. His hands trembled as he walked until he was at his desk and he sat down. Lance tried not to look at Keith, but it was hard when the other boy was probably still smiling at him…probably. He glanced over to check, and it was a big mistake.

"Hey," Keith greeted.

"Uh…h-hey…buddy," Lance responded. Keith raised his brow.

"Is that your idea of a cute pet name?" He questioned.

"Uh…a-about that-"

"Because if we're doing pet names I could just call you bottomless bit."

"Wow, I'm taking that as a personal attack," Lance said. Keith chuckled a little and Lance ignored the thought that it was cute. He leaned forward over his desk and gave Lance a flirty look over his shoulder.

"Well it works in more than one way. I'm a top," Keith replied simply. Lance blushed a little, but didn't quite understand.

"Uh…I don't…"

" _Bottom-_ less pit," Keith repeated. Lance's eyes widened when he got it and then laughed.

"Wow. Okay. I get it. You just made a sex joke," Lance said. Keith giggled and nodded.

"Yes. I made a sex joke."

"That was funny."

"I know it was."

     Lance rolled his eyes and pinched Keith's arm. He had totally forgotten his original plan, but when he remembered he was nervous again. It was clear he made Keith at least a little happy, but he had to do this.

"Hey…Kei-"

"Oh, are you free after class? There's this great Mexican restaurant I think you'd like. They serve churros for desert and it's really good," Keith interrupted. Lance blinked. Fuck. He loved Mexican food.

"Uh…I-I dunno. I think I have…a thing," he lied. Keith frowned.

"What thing?"

"Uh…" 

     Fuck. That face. Keith looked so…genuine and almost disappointed. Lance hated seeing that frown. Why was this so hard? All he needed to do was just tell him they were breaking up. He had to do it. He needed to do it.  _There was no good reason for him not to-_

 

"Actually I think I am free. I was just thinking about tomorrow and what I was doing tomorrow, but I'm free today. Yeah sure, where's the restaurant?"

 

 

…break up with him…

 

"Oh, it's really close. Less than a five minute drive," Keith replied. The way he instantly lit back up nearly killed Lance. Oh boy…Lance was fucked.

 

* * *

 

     When Lance entered his dorm room it was well past the time he told Hunk he'd be home. He entered the room with his head down in shame and a leftovers box in his hand. The room suddenly smelled like churros and Hunk's snoring came to an abrupt halt. He muttered some words and leaned over the bunk to see Lance with the leftover box and a defeated look on his face.

"Oh no…"

"I tried, Hunk. I really tried," he whispered with shame.

"Ugh…it's okay, buddy. Just…sit down and tell me what happened," Hunk instructed and started to climb down the bunk bed. Lance did so and sighed down at his box of churros. "So…why do you have a Mexican restaurant take home box?" Hunk asked.

"…Keith took me to a Mexican restaurant," Lance admitted.

"I thought you were gonna break up with him," Hunk said.

"I was! I totally was!" Lance insisted.

"But…?"

"But…he looked so happy to see me, a-and then he looked so sad when I lied and said I was busy after class and…" Lance sighed. "I dunno. I've never been good at break ups."

"True, but what are you gonna do now?"

"I dunno…maybe I should try again?"

"I have a feeling if you try again you'll only get yourself another date," Hunk sassed. Lance opened his mouth to protest, but sighed instead and slumped against the chair.

"Yeah, you're right."

"I think it's time we call the love expert," Hunk said. Lance looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What? No. You're just looking for another way to ridicule me-"

"Too late. I'm already calling her."

"Fuuuuuuuuck."

     Hunk smiled and shook his head as he waited for the their friend to pick up. After a couple rings he was finally met with the familiar voice of who he called the "love expert". He smiled.

"Hey, love expert. We could use some advice."

 

* * *

 

"Ah, I see. It's time for my expertise in romance. I got you," Pidge spoke in to the phone as she typed away at their laptop. Pidge was in the middle of typing up an essay for her class, but she had mastered the art of multitasking a long time ago.

"Okay, so Lance accidentally got a boyfriend-"

"How do you accidentally get a boyfriend?" Pidge asked.

"It's a long story. Anyways. He's having some difficulty breaking it off with the guy. Any advise?" Hunk asked.

"Simple. Get the guy to break up with Lance," Pidge replied.

"How!" Lance shouted in the distance.

"Yeah, how? I know that Lance is annoying, but if this guy already thought they were dating then he might be immune."

"Trust me. Nobody is immune. Take Lance off his Ritalin for a day and it'll show you no one is that strong," Pidge assured them.

"So…we should take Lance off his meds to scared this guy away?"

"Oh no. It won't be that easy."

"Then what do we do?"

"Lance needs to _act_ like an asshole. Well, more of an asshole than he really is. He needs to be busy every time this guy tries to make a date with him, and he needs to be moody," Pidge instructed.

"I can't do that! It'll hurt his feelings!" Lance whined in the background.

"Oh boo-hoo. He'll get over you," Pidge said.

"Well the thing is this guy…" Hunk stifled a giggle.

"Stop laughing!" Lance snapped.

"Sorry, but _this fucking guy_  has been taking Lance out on dates for like the entire term and Lance _just_ realized it the other day because he kissed him," Hunk told him. Pidge bursted out laughing and had to take a break from her paper to properly laugh.

"Are you serious? That is totally Lance!" She cackled.

"I feel attacked right now," Lance said faintly.

"Good. That was my intent," Pidge replied grinning. There was a rustling sound followed by muffled arguing.

"Seriously, Pidge, I need your help here!" Lance said over the phone. Just as Lance spoke the door opened. Pidge's roommate walked in with a grin as he set down his bag and leaned against the door.

"Uh, I'll call you back later, dude," Pidge said.

"What? No, I need you no-" Pidge hung up the phone before Lance could say anymore and focused on his smiling roommate with a take home box falling out of his hand and on his backpack.

"Hey," she greeted. Her roommate looked up at her.

"Hey," he replied.

"So…how'd it go?" Pidge asked. He failed to keep a straight face and only grinned wider.

"He's…he's ridiculous," he murmured.

"And yet you're still dating him," Pidge pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if like he knew I was taking him out on dates, but today and the last time…" he trailed off blushing and hid his stupid smile in his hands. Pidge smiled and set aside her laptop. She climbed down from her top bunk and finally reached her roommate to pat his back.

"I'm happy for you, Keith."

 

     Navy eyes peeked between pale fingers.

 

"I'm so embarrassed," he groaned and retuned hiding in his hands. Pidge laughed.

"Why? You didn't think I didn't know you actually have emotions, did you?"

"No…well…I hoped…"

"Listen, if you wanna talk about this guy feel free. I'm kinda interested in how your date went," Pidge urged. Keith sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. His face was still bright red, but he tried to ignore it.

"I took him out for Mexican food…and he's…s-so fucking cute…ugh," Keith groaned and returned one hand to his face. Pidge pulled it back and giggled a little.

"Wow, I've never seen you so hung up about a guy," she teased. Keith groaned again and turned to face away from his roommate.

"I hate you," he mumbled.

"C'mon, Keith. I'm curious," Pidge tried again. Keith sighed.

"T-there's not much to say…I'm just a fucking sucker for him," Keith admitted.

"Aw, that's so cute," Pidge fawned. Keith sneered down at her.

"Shut up."

"You're just a big softie inside this rugged exterior," Pidge said in a babyish voice and poking Keith's arm. He groaned again and walked past her to plop down on his bed.

"I'm dead. Goodnight," he muffled in to his pillow.

"So…he's for sure your boyfriend now?" Pidge asked. Keith pushed himself off his pillow and sat criss cross on his bed.

"I…I-I guess. I mean we kissed once and he laughed at my sex joke."

"Bottomless pit?"

"Yeah."

"Fucking classic. I knew he'd laugh at that one," Pidge nodded with triumph.

"It took him a while though."

"Wow, really?"

"Yup."

"Isn't it time you told me the name of your boyfriend? You've been telling me about this boy all term, and I still don't know his name," Pidge pointed out. Keith shook his head.

"N-no way! If I told you his name you'd hack in to the school system and find out every detail about him!" Keith protested.

"I promise I won't," Pidge assured him.

"That's what you said last time," Keith replied.

"Yeah, but that's only because you wouldn't and he sounded shady as fuck. Plus he even turned out to be shady as fuck, so I should get points for suspecting him early and checking up on him for you."

"In definitely not giving you his name. I'll give you a fake name though so we don't have to constantly refer to him as my b-boyfriend," Keith said.

"Fine, what's his fake name?"

"Uh…Jerry," Keith told her.

"That's the name of your knife."

"Yeah…it's a good name," he defended.

"Alright…just shows how obsessed you are with your knife," Pidge muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."


	3. Off the fucking pill bitches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's hope things go according to plan

     Lance looked down at his prescription bottle. He had been staring at the orange bottle for a solid ten minutes, and he still hadn't made the decision to take it or not. Yeah, Pidge told him to skip it today since he has class with Keith, but Lance wasn't sure. His medication helped him _a lot._  Often times when people say they have ADHD they don't have it nearly as bad as Lance. He was a train wreck without his Ritalin, and he was quite nervous thinking about not taking it. Usually when he's off his meds he's just hanging out or he's on break. Even then if he knows he'll need to focus later in the day he'll take it in the mornings. When he was off the pill he was off the fucking wall. A part of him was thinking that Keith didn't really deserve that kind of harassment…

"Knock knock, fucker! Open up!"

     The door was suddenly kicked opened and Lance almost had a heart attack. The bottle was flung from his hands and he fell back in to the empty bathtub. There was a clatter from the bottle falling in the sink and then a ripping of Lance's shower curtains. His butt hurt from landing in the hard tub, and when he looked up he saw Pidge standing at the door with her arms crossed.

"Pidge, what the fuck?" He hissed and stood up.

"Did you take your medicine?" She asked. He sighed.

"No…not yet-" she grabbed his face and tugged him down to her level.

"Listen here, McClain. You're not taking your meds today. Y'know why?"

"Because I need to be annoy-"

"Wrong! You're not on your meds today because you're on a mission," she announced. Lance's eyes widened. "A mission to singledom!" His expression fell. "And right now you're in undesired relationship land. Today…you become a man."

"By…getting this dude to break up with me?" Lance questioned.

"No! By freeing yourself from pressure and emotional baggage of a man who has an impressive amount of money to be able to feed you," she corrected. Lance tried to pull away, but Pidge kept him in place.

"Today I want you to march in to your psychology class and cause the biggest disruption in. Your. Life," Pidge continued.

"But…I want him to break up with me, not for my professor to kick me out of class," Lance replied. Pidge sighed and patted his shoulder.

"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices," she said.

"But-"

"Now get dressed, get some food, and act like the most undesirable man in the world!" Pidge said and pushed Lance out of his bathroom.

"That shouldn't be hard," Hunk pitched in as he ate a muffin.

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Lance snapped as Pidge continued to push him.

"You take offense to everything," Hunk replied.

"That's not true, and where did you get that muffin!"

"Pidge," Hunk answered.

"Pidge! Why didn't you give me one?" Lance whined.

"I only had the one. My roommate gave it to me and I didn't want it," Pidge told him.

"Why didn't you ask me first?"

"Because I didn't see you first."

"Still you should've known that I would want it more than Hu-"

"Y'know what, Pidge? This might actually work. I already want to break up with him and we're not even dating," Hunk interrupted.

"Fuck you," Lance grumbled. Pudge grinned.

"This is perfect."

 

* * *

 

     Keith wasn't in class yet. At least from what Lance could see he wasn't. He was peeking in through the door, and he didn't see Keith in their usual spot. His eyes darted as far as they could across the classroom, and there was still no sight of him. Crap. Was he not here today? Was he sick? Or out of town? Wait, wouldn't he text Lance if he wouldn't be at class? He's done it before. Maybe he forgot to. Maybe he lost his phone. Maybe he was on his way and slowly sneaking up behind Lance to scare him, and then Lance would glare at him and he'd smile and laugh in his usual endearing way…maybe. Lance checked over his shoulder to be sure and it was clear.

     Great. If Keith wasn't here that meant that Lance wasted a day off his meds. His foot was already tapping impatiently and he had been nonstop fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. This was going to drive him crazy. Lance sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was in the middle of plotting Pidge's murder when there was a tap on his shoulder. He jumped and clung to the wall. His wide eyes met confused navy ones and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's just you," he said. Keith giggled a little.

"Uh…yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I said your name a couple times, but you must've been distracted or something," Keith replied. Lance laughed a little awkwardly.

"Yeah…or something," he muttered. Keith held out a muffin on a napkin.

"You hungry?" He offered. Lance nodded.

"God, I'm starving," he rasped and accepted Keith's offer. His medication usually put off his appetite, so he was twice as hungry than usual. Keith blinked as Lance immediately started biting in to the muffin.

"Huh…you're not usually hungry until later," Keith noticed.

"I'm off my meds today and it usually reduces my appetite, so I'm actually hungry at a normal time for once," Lance confessed with a mouthful of muffin. Dammit. He told himself he wouldn't mention his meds.

"Oh. Uh, what do you take medication for?" Keith asked.

 

_Don't say ADHD don't say ADHD don't-_

 

"ADHD," Lance answered. A piece of muffin dropped from his lips and he quickly picked it back up.

 

_God fucking dammit._

 

"I didn't know you had ADHD. I probably should've assumed though," Keith replied with a smile. Lance frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Keith shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess you're kinda all over the place and get off track easy," Keith told him.

"Is that an insult? Because I'll have you know the only place ADHD really sucks is in an academic environment, so after high school my life is gonna be great-" he stopped talking as Keith laughed. He hated how cute Keith's laugh was.

"Lance, chill. I wasn't insulting you," Keith assured him and stepped to open the door for him.

"I'll have you know those are the things I like about you," he added and gave Lance a smile that should've been illegal. 

     Lance blushed and walked in giving Keith a hard glare. Keith rolled his eyes and followed Lance inside. They sat in their usual spots and already Lance was restless. His feet wouldn't stay still and his pencil was endlessly tapping on his desk. Eventually Keith had to grab his wrist to stop the tapping, yet Lance resumed only five minutes later. He couldn't focus on the lesson so he yawned and laid his head on his desk. 

     Eventually he ended up staring at Keith and peeked over at his notes. Thank god Keith took good notes because if he didn't Lance was definitely screwed. His gaze drifted from Keith's notes to his pale fingers wrapped around a red mechanical pencil. Keith's hands were oddly thin yet thick. Like he had short and stubby fingers, but something about them looked slimming. Almost feminine. It was actually kind of cute and Lance had completely forgotten his mission in favor of staring at Keith's hands.

     He didn't want to hurt Keith's feelings. Believe it or not, but Lance genuinely enjoyed his friendship with Keith. Just the idea of making Keith sad was like a bullet in his chest, but breaking up with him was boring a hole in his soul. Keith didn't deserve that kinda pain. Maybe Lance should just stick it out until Keith broke up with him naturally, or got bored with him or something. Maybe they could both come to a mutual breakup. Lance could do that. As long as Keith didn't kiss him too much. He already thought too much about their first kiss, so he didn't want more events to plague his mind.

     That first kiss though…Lance glanced at Keith's lips. They were pink and slightly bitten. It was obvious Keith barely passed a stick of chapstick over them, but he did it often enough to have somewhat soft-looking lips. Again, there was something oddly feminine about this feature. They weren't glossy or glamorous or crazy plump, but there was a subtleness to it that made Keith seem…just a little feminine. Lance didn't think much of it, and it wasn't a bad thing. In fact he thought it was kinda cute. Cute like how it looked when Keith smirked at him, or laughed, or smiled, or pursed them when he was focusing on taking notes in class. Keith just looked cute in general.

     Another yawn escaped Lance. He sighed as he popped up his head and rested it on his palm. His fingers tapped on his desk and Keith sighed in frustration. Oh yeah. Lance was supposed to be annoying him. He patted his hands on his desk and made various subtle yet annoying noises with his mouth. It wasn't as effective as the tapping, but once Lance started clicking his tongue Keith started giving him death glares. Lance would only smile in response and look away innocently. Another short sigh left Keith and Lance gently nudged his feet.

"Lance. Calm. Down," Keith warned through clenched teeth

"I. Don't. Know. What. You're. Talking. About," Lance replied mockingly and nudged his foot again. Keith shook his head and focused on the professor again.

"Did you shower this morning?" Lance asked. He touched the ends of Keith's hair and the other boy shrugged him off.

"No," Keith answered.

"I can tell. Your hair is extremely oily," Lance noticed and ran his fingers through it.

"Be quiet," Keith said.

"You're no fun," Lance sighed.

"Are you always this bad off your meds?" Keith questioned.

"Hey, you're the one who told me to be quiet," Lance told him and crossed his arms stubbornly. Keith groaned and set down his pencil. He ran his fingers through his hair as the professor closed up class and Lance basically vibrated in his seat.

"I wanna go already. Ugh, c'mon," Lance complained.

"You're a moron," Keith said and packed up his stuff. Lance's stuff was already put away since he couldn't focus on anything.

"Maybe, but for some reason you like me," Lance replied. The rest of the class got up and Lance jumped up from his spot. He bounced around waiting for Keith to finish up and grinned when he noticed Keith's displeased expression.

"So are you gonna take me out again today? Or are you busy? Because if you're busy I understand, but I'm like super hungry. I feel like I could eat anything. Fuck, I love being off my meds, I eat so much when I'm on breaks. Maybe I should go off my meds more often. Wouldn't that be great? Oh man I could have like a normal meal schedule. That would be fucking awesome," Lance rambled. Keith stood up.

"Uh…yeah, I'm free. Where do you wanna go?" He asked. Lance blinked. He wasn't expecting that.

"Are you sure? Because if I'm annoying you I understand. It's totally okay if you don't wanna spend time with me because I'm like this. I think it would be totally justified if you, I dunno, broke up with me because I've been such a nuisance today. I dunno," Lance said. Keith laughed.

"That's ridiculous, Lance. I'm not gonna break up with you just because you're not good in a classroom," he said and walked past Lance to the door. Lance watched and then quickly caught up with him.

"I-it's not _that_  ridiculous, is it? I-I mean if we date for long enough and we like move in together you'll have to live with me being like this and you'll witness me in my full ADHD mod. It's not pretty. I forget to flush sometimes, and when I'm off I'm shit at hygiene. I mean I'm always pretty clean and I love my moisturizer and all but I'll go days without doing it over break when I'm off. I mean, it's pretty unpleasant and-"

"Lance," Keith cut him off and stopped him outside of the classroom. "It's okay," Keith assured him.

"Don't draw conclusions so quickly. I mean it can get infuriating-" he stopped talking as Keith gently cupped his face.

"Just relax, okay? I get it if you're nervous about your ADHD. I'm guessing people have broken up with you before because of it, but I promise you Lance I'm not that kind of person," Keith spoke gently. Lance blinked.

"Y-you're not?" Lance stuttered. Keith smiled and shook his head.

"No…I like you, Lance. With or without your medication," he said and leaned in. 

     Lance barely even processed what Keith was doing when he felt a gentle press against his lips. The kiss lingered, and it was electrifying on Lance's skin. His eyes fluttered close and he tilted his head in to Keith's as he rested his hand on Keith's hip. It was warm and it was welcoming, and Lance wasn't thinking about anything but that. When Keith pulled back he giggled and blushed.

"You're a surprisingly good kisser," Keith confessed. Lance blinked.

"Did you think I wasn't a good kisser? Fuck you, I'm a great kisser. I've been kissing for years," Lance spat back. Keith laughed and Lance found his smile infection. "I'll have you know I graduated top of my class from kissing school and I was a valedictorian. Fight me, bitch."

"Lance, oh my god. Shut the fuck up," Keith giggled.

"No way. That was a totally back handed compliment. You ain't getting away with that, asshole," Lance continued. Keith shook his head.

"Sorry, I just didn't peg you as such an amazing kisser," Keith replied.

"Oh fuck you, dude. I am not accepting that as a compliment. How dare you, okay? I'm a fucking fantastic-" he was cut off by Keith's lips and was silent as he pulled back. Keith grinned.

"I know you are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I'm going through a bit of a rough patch right now. Idk how often I'll update newer stories, but I'll update tlwebc pretty regularly since it's already pre written. Thanks for your patience <3


	4. Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is weak and Pidge is cool

"Oh no," Hunk sighed as he stepped in to his dorm. Lance sat in their singular chair as he somberly ate a large Wendy's frosty. He looked up at Hunk with somewhat guilty eyes, but overall sad. "What happened?"

"He's so nice," Lance whispered as he turned back to his frosty.

"Who? Keith?" Hunk asked. Lance nodded and shoveled another spoonful.

"I was totally annoying. I did everything Pidge told me to do, and he was even, y'know, frustrated or whatever…but he's _so fucking nice!_ " Lance wailed.

"What did he do that was so nice?" Hunk asked peeling off his coat. "I mean besides buy you a shit ton of food."

"Ugh! He's just…fuck! I don't understand!" Lance cried in to his frosty.

"Lance. Focus."

"Okay okay…he told me that he wasn't gonna break up with me just because I'm annoying off my meds…" Lance said. Hunk frowned and crossed his arms.

"Really?" Lance nodded. "That's…surprising."

"He was all gentle and sweet about it too! I didn't think he could be so nice! He was like 'I can tell you're nervous about your ADHD and I'm guessing other people have broken up with you because of it, but I promise you I'm not like those people'," Lance told him lowering his voice to imitate Keith.

"Holy shit, that's really sweet."

"I know! Right?"

"Are you sure you wanna break it off with this guy? He sounds pretty good. Like all your messy break ups had something to do with you off your meds," Hunk pointed out.

"I mean…I don't think it's fair, but I'm such a pussy," Lance groaned.

"Why isn't it fair?" Hunk asked.

"Because I just wanna be friends. Like it's a pretty chill friendship," Lance answered. Hunk sighed.

"C'mon Lance. Just admit you like him," Hunk said. Lance pointed his plastic spoon at Hunk like a weapon.

"I do not like him," Lance insisted.

"Uh-huh. Totally."

"I'm telling you, I don't."

"I'm telling you, I believe you."

"No you don't. Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Not-believing me!"

"I believe you."

"No you don't, I can tell you don't."

"It's okay, I understand Lance. You get a bit delusional off your meds. It's happens to the best of us."

"You're unbelievable."

"Believe it, baby."

     Lance opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He groaned and dug it out to answer it.

"Hello?"

"So how's the single life? Is it as great as you imagined it?" Pidge spoke. Lance sighed.

"No," he answered.

"Uh…what?"

"It didn't work," Lance told her.

"What do you mean it didn't work? You are the worlds most annoying person when you're off your meds," she deadpanned.

"I dunno, Pidge. He's just too nice! I tried my best when I remembered to because I forgot for a while if I'm being completely honest. It's easy for me to forget things too, but once I remembered I got right on it and he was totally annoyed! But after class he was super nice and understanding about it, and he even kissed me! _Again!_ "

"Wow, really? He must really like you then," Pidge replied.

"I know! And then we went to Wendy's and no matter how many times I accidentally kicked his foot under the table he would only get a little mad!" Lance continued.

"Aw. That's kinda cute."

"Shut up, no it's not! I'm gonna go crazy if I have to be off my meds again."

"Maybe we should try another approach," Pidge proposed.

"Like What? This guy is too nice, I doubt whatever you're thinking could make him wanna break up with me," Lance grumbled.

"Hear me out Lance. What if he caught you chea-"

"Oh no!" Lance interrupted.

"Wait-"

"No, I am not going to lead him to believe I'd cheat on him!" Lance insisted.

"Cheat? Wait, is Pidge suggesting that we make Keith believe you're cheating on him?" Hunk asked.

"Yeah, she is!" Lance answered.

"Lance, hear me out. Yes, it's terrible, but he'll definitely break-"

"No, the only breaking it would do is break his heart and that's _the opposite of what I'm trying to do_ ," Lance snapped.

"Yeah. I don't think that's a good idea," Hunk agreed.

"Hunk agrees!" Lance added. Pidge sighed on the other line.

"Alright…yeah, you're right. That would be terrible to do to him," she said.

"God I can't even imagine…that…fuck that would make him so upset. Jesus, Pidge," Lance sighed.

"You sure you want him to break up with you at all? You seem to care about him and…like hi-"

"I do not like him that way! I only see him as a friend!" A nice friend. With nice hands and a nice smile that made Lance feel dizzy sometimes. That's beside the point though…

"Okay okay. Sorry I said anything," Pidge replied. Lance groaned.

"I'm sorry, Pidge. This is just…stressing me out," he apologized.

"I understand…it's okay," she said.

"Hunk and I will talk with you later, but I need to take a nap or something," he told her.

"Alright, are we still on for Red Robin's tomorrow night?" Pidge asked. Lance looked up at Hunk and asked the same thing. Hunk nodded.

"Yup," Lance confirmed.

"Awesome. I've been saving all week," she said.

"Same. My parents sent me like ten bucks in the mail," Lance grinned.

"Hella. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yup. See ya then."

"Bye."

"Bye," Lance sighed and then hung up the phone. He slumped back against his chair and groaned. "I totally forgot about Red Robin's."

"Do you not wanna go?" Hunk asked.

"No, it's not that. I'm just a little overwhelmed right now…it's easier for me to get overstimulated off my meds," Lance reminded him. Hunk nodded.

"Right. I understand, dude. You should take a melatonin or something and call it a night," he suggested. Lance nodded and got up just as there was a knock on his door. He handed Hunk his unfinished frosty and answered the knock. He blinked at the figure in front of him and didn't want to process those navy eyes and dark black hair.

"Keith?" Lance blurted. His accidental boyfriend smiled.

"Hey," he greeted. Lance could feel Hunk peeking over his shoulder at Keith and elbowed his friend in the belly.

"Whaaat are you doing here?" He asked nervously. Keith's eyes darted over Lance's shoulder and he raised a brow. He looked absolutely endearing with his questioning smile.

"You accidentally left your backpack in my car," Keith told him holding up the blue bag.

"Really? I didn't even notice," Lance said looking at his bag.

"Yeah, if I hadn't gone back out to get my own I probably wouldn't have noticed it until tomorrow," Keith said.

"Wow. Well, thanks…dude," he said the last word quietly, but apparently not quietly enough.

     Keith chuckled a little and handed Lance his bag. Their fingers brushed against each other and Keith looked down at where their skin met. Light pink flushed his cheeks and he smiled coyly at Lance as their fingers lingered. Lance cleared his throat and pulled away with a redder completion.

"Th-thanks!" He squeaked and held his bag to his chest.

"No problem…I guess I'll see you on Monday," he said. Lance hated how smooth his voice sounded and how badly he wanted to hear it for hours on end.

"Yeah…Monday," Lance murmured. Keith bit his lip briefly before lifting himself ever so slightly on his toes and kissing Lance shortly on the lips.

"Until then," he whispered against Lance's lips before walking away down the hall. 

     Lance watched him leave with a hazy brain and took a moment to recollect himself. He shook his head to snap himself back to reality and closed the door. When he turned around he found Hunk grinning and eating the rest of his frosty.

"So when's the wedding?" Hunk asked.

"Never," Lance growled with a red face and clenched fists.

"Uh-huh. Just tell me when you need a caterer," Hunk replied.

"I don't need this from you, Hunk," Lance said and set his bag down.

"Aw, c'mon Lance. Don't be that way," Hunk replied as Lance stormed to the bathroom. The skinny boy didn't respond and instead resisted slamming the door behind him. "Lance?"

     Lance sighed once he was alone and leaned against the wall. He rubbed the butt of his palms in to his eyes and took a deep breath. His brain was flooded with emotions and thoughts about what had just happened. Keith being here. Keith smiling at Lance. Keith touching his fingers and letting his own loiter in a sickeningly adorable way. Keith _kissing_  him for the third time that day. He was so welcoming and warm that Lance was struggling more and more each time to deny he liked it.

     In his defense, who didn't like kissing? Granted people have their preferences, but a good amount of people enjoyed kissing and Lance happened to be one of them. He enjoyed the physical sensations of another's lips against his. Was that a crime? Was it abnormal for him to like it when Keith kissed him? Probably not. Lance didn't like all of his past partners, but he stayed because he liked affection. He liked affirmation and love and attention. He liked validation and approval. He liked other people liking him. Most of his relationships ended messy because of that.

     For some reason no matter how many times he tried to convince himself he knew it wasn't like that this time. Keith wasn't like his past partners. He was curious and genuine and adorable and often made Lance want to disappear from how giddy he made him feel. It was obvious Keith wasn't always the best with words and perhaps forgot to communicate things at times, but once it was obvious what he wanted and was thinking it couldn't be more clear. God, if Lance couldn't figure out how to break up with him soon then he'd be the one in danger of falling in love with Keith. Then again…was that so bad?

     A sigh escaped Lance's lips as he let down his hands from his face. He walked to his shower and frowned when he remembered pidge bursting in this morning. Half the shower curtain was ripped and a couple of the rings were tugged and broken off the bar completely. Lance shook his head and pushed it aside to start up the shower. The water ran, and he stripped himself as he waited for the water to get warm. He looked at himself in the mirror and gave his reflection a grumpy expression.

"What am I even doing?" He asked himself. His tired blue eyes looked at him and he furrowed his brows. "I'm exhausted," he told the mirror and rubbed his eyes again. Good thing he wouldn't see Keith tomorrow. He seriously needed to get that guy out of his damn head.

 

* * *

 

"Fuck," Keith groaned in to his pillow. Pidge typed away at her laptop and ignored her roommate on the bottom bunk. "Fuuuuu-hu-uckkk," he groaned again. Pidge sighed.

"…are you okay down ther-"

"Okay!" Keith popped his head up over her bunk before she could finish her sentence. She blinked and he leaned his elbows on the bed. "So I go to give him back his backpack, right?"

"I do believe that's what you texted me five minutes ago before you came back and immediately started screaming in to your pillow," Pidge replied.

"Yeah, so I found his fucking back pack in my car and I go to give it to him."

"That's been established."

" _Anyways_ …he's at the door and I see his roommate trying to peek over his shoulder and stuff. Jerry was trying to push him away, and he was all blushy and cute and he looked so nervous and…ugh," Keith groaned and flopped over on Pidge's bed. She raised a brow and adjusted her glasses.

"Is that seriously what you've been screaming about all night?" She asked.

"No!" Keith snapped his head up and crawled over next to her. "I kissed him again. Three times today," he reported. Pidge patted his shoulder.

"Good job. I'm proud of you."

"He's just…oh my god I can't believe I've kissed him," he buried his red face in his hands and groaned. 

"As much as I love that you've found someone you really like, I'm kinda busy right now," Pidge said. Keith sighed and leaned his head on his roommates shoulder. "Ack! No get off!" She squealed and leaned away.

"Why? I'm just leaning on you," Keith responded.  
"Yeah, but I'm getting sick and physical contact always makes me worse!" She replied moving away more.

"Oh…"

"Yeah! And I have somewhere important to be tomorrow!" Pidge added.

"Where?"

"I'm going out with my friends," she replied.

"I thought I was your friend," Keith said frowning.

"You're _one_  of my friends, Keith. I have more than one friend," Pidge informed him.

"Oh…"

"C'mon, Keith. Don't tell me I'm you're only friend," Pidge begged.

"You're not my _only_  friend," Keith confirmed. Pidge raised a brow, and Keith blushed and looked away. "Just…My only friend like _me_ ," he murmured shyly. Pidge smiled a little.

"That's why you're my favorite friend," Pidge said. Keith returned his gaze to his friend and smiled back.

"Really?" He asked. Pidge rolled her eyes.

"Don't act so surprised. We got a special bond dude," she replied and ruffled his hair. He fake scowled and they both laughed.

"Yeah…as great as Jerry is I don't think he knows," Keith said.

"You should probably tell him sometime soon," Pidge suggested.

"Have you told any of your friends?" Keith asked.

"Some close ones. People who don't know still call me he and him because I'm still so androgynous looking," Pidge answered.

"Ah…I think I've gotten to the point that everyone just assumes I'm cis," Keith said. Pidge laughed.

"That's because you pass so well dude. Plus you're actually on HRT and not on the waiting list like me," Pidge pointed out.

"True."

"It must be cool though. Everyone just assumes you have a dick," Pidge teased. Keith laughed.

"I haven't thought about it that way, oh my god," he giggled. Pidge wiggled her brows and Keith shook his head.

"I'm glad I have a friend like you."

"Me too, buddy. Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Sorry for taking super long on this update. I've been going through a lot of stuff so idk how often I'll be able to update. I'm posting this as I write so it might take longer than my usual stories. Thanks for your patience <3


	5. Red Robin's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith sees more familiar faces at his job than he would like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey…so…it's been a while…I…uh…sorry…

     Pidge coughed and hacked up on her top bunk. She had been at it along with sneezing and groaning all morning. It had gotten to the point where Keith was slightly concerned. He adjusted his red button up shirt and then peeked up over her bunk. She sniffled and glared at him.

"Look what you did to me, asshole," she accused in a very stuffed voice. Keith frowned guiltily.

"All this from just leaning against you last night?" He asked. Pidge sighed and plopped her head down on her pillow.

"No," she admitted. "I also had some physical contact with other friends yesterday. I should've worn a mask or something. My immune system is such shit."

"Aw, I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"Anyways," Keith said rolling his eyes. "I gotta go to work here in a couple minutes, but if you need anything whatsoever feel free to text me or call me," he offered. Pidge sneezed in to her used tissue and then sniffled again.

"Okay. Thanks," she mumbled. He nodded and gave a sympathetic smile.

"Get better. I'll bring some leftover soup from the kitchen when I get home," he told her.

"Where do you work again?" She asked.

"Red Robins," Keith answered.

"Whoa, that's where my friends are gonna be," Pidge said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You'll know them when you see them," she said and laughed a little. Her laughter lead to hacking and so she cleared her throats and resumed her miserable sniffling.

"Get some rest Pidge. If it's an emergency I'm sure Shiro would let me leave early to take care of you," Keith assured her. She nodded.

"Thanks…now go get money," she said. He laughed a little.

"Okay, Pidge. I'll be back around eight," he replied.

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

 

* * *

 

     It was a busy night. Keith hated it when the restaurant was busy, but then again who didn't? Still he liked to think he hated it more due to his moodiness and inability to convince customers he actually wanted to take their orders. Especially on nights like this. The line for a table was ridiculous considering there were other sit down restaurants nearby, and there were at least twenty children crying laughing or screaming. It was giving Keith a headache, but probably not as big of a headache as Shiro.

     The manager was always composed and well put together. Not once had Keith seen Shiro crack under the pressure of dinner rush in the year he had been working with him. He had known Shiro for much longer, but he started working here when he started college five years ago. So naturally with a friend in the business Keith found his job rather easy. The pay wasn't bad and Shiro made it bearable. Other than that he hated interacting with people and he was so bad a cooking he wasn't allowed near the kitchen. So he was stuck taking other people's orders and cleaning up their messy scraps. It wasn't ideal but it was better than nothing.

     This night in particular was worse than the majority of the busy nights Keith had witnessed. At first it was fine. Well, as fine as a busy restaurent can get. It wasn't until a tall, lanky, fucking gorgeous boy walked in with a fairly familiar chubby companion. Keith instantly hid his face with the empty platter he was holding and ducked out to the kitchen when he first laid eyes on Lance. Shit. Why was he here? He didn't seriously have enough money to buy himself Red Robin's stuff, did he?

     When Keith peeked from behind the kitchen entrance he almost had a heart attack when Lance's roommate made eye contact with him. He jumped back and nearly knocked over an outgoing tray of food. Apologizes flew out of his mouth as he quickly caught the chicken basket before it fell to the floor. His co-worker sighed and merely continued out with the order. Keith risked another peek outside and sighed when he spotted Lance and his roommate in the arcade.

"Keith."

"Ack!" He flinched at the authoritative deep voice and turned around. "Uh…yes?"

"What are you doing?" Shiro asked with arms crossed.

"Uh…" he glanced back at the arcade, and then to Shiro again. "Would you believe me if I said I was hiding?" He asked. Shiro sighed.

"Unfortunately, yes," he answered.

"I'm hiding."

"From who?"

"Uh, no one important or that you need to know," Keith said with obvious stress. Shiro lifted a brow and Keith flinched again when he heard one of his co-workers shout the next two customers that were to be seated.

"Lance and Hunk!"

"Fuck," Keith hissed and peeked out again to see where they would end up.

"Keith, listen. It's a busy night and tonight we need all hands on deck. Why don't you go take that new table's order and do your job?" Shiro suggested. Keith whipped back around to face Shiro. He shook his head with wide eyes. His face was turning red with embarrassment.

"Please no. I'll do anything else. Just don't make me serve that table," he begged. Shiro furrowed his brows and glanced past the kitchen at the newly seated table.

"What's your problem with them?" Shiro asked.

"Uh…" Keith turned redder.

"C'mon, spit it out. We don't have all night and we need to keep moving," Shiro urged. Keith sighed.

"I'm…dating one of them," he mumbled. Shiro paused for a moment and then grinned.

"You have a _boyfriend?_ " He asked. Keith glared at him.

"…yes."

"You have a boyfriend and he's _here?_ "

"Y-Yes," Keith stuttered. Shiro's grin only got bigger and he uncrossed his arms.

"You don't have to worry about that table at all, Keith. I'll handle it," Shiro assured and took his apron from around his waist.

"W-wait! What?" Keith nearly yelped as Shiro tied the apron around his own waist.

"You heard me," he replied and plucked the notepad from his hand.

"B-b-but you're the manager! You shouldn't have to-"

"Don't worry Keith. I'm just going to take your _boyfriend's_ order," Shiro told him and stepped out.

"Shiro, no!" Keith whimpered but stayed behind in the kitchen. 

     It was too late. Shiro was already at the table with a grin and a pen in his hand. The two boys looked up at the manager and Shiro looked between the two of them.

"So, what can I get you two boys? Should I start you out with drinks, or are you ready to order?" He asked.

"Um, I think I'm ready to order. Can I get one of your whiskey river burgers and a root bear?" Hunk responded.

"Absolutely! And how would you like your burger?" Shiro asked as he wrote down Hunk's order.

"Well done," he answered.

"Okay, and how about you?" He asked Lance.

"Uh…I'll take…a coke…and…"

"C'mon Lance. Make up your mind," Hunk groaned.

"I can always come back later," Shiro assured him.

"No no…I'll have…mm…chicken strips…no…burger…wait…" Shiro and Hunk waited. "…yeah, a classic Red Robin burger well done," Lance finally decided. Shiro nodded and wrote down the rest of the order.

"Okay, now with that out of the way," Shiro said handing his note pad to a passing employee. "Which one of you is dating Keith?"

     Hunk and Lance looked at at Shiro with wide eyes. He was smiling as he waited with a hand on his hip and his other hand leaning on their table. Lance turned bright red and his eyes were filled with pure terror. Hunk pointed at Lance.

"That one," he answered. Shiro looked at Lance.

"Really? How did it happen?" He asked.

"Uh…w-well it sorta just…happened," Lance stammered.

"C'mon, gimme the details," he urged. Lance cleared his throat.

"K-Keith Kogane, right? Not some other Keith you're thinking of?"

"Yup."

"Black hair. Greasy mullet. Has a prestigious taste in restaurants?"

"That's the one."

"Okay…yeah that Keith."

"So how did you two end up together? You seem to be just his type, but how on earth did he persuade you?"

"Uh…w-well…to be honest it was kinda slow and we went out a couple times. Eventually I got to the point where I was like 'date it, I'll fuck him' right?" Lance said nervously. Hunk and Shiro blinked at him and Lance sat there awkwardly waiting for a response.

"Uh…Lance," Hunk whispered.

"What?" Lance whispered back.

"You just said 'date it, I'll fuck him'," Hunk informed him. Lance turned bright red and looked at Shiro with wide eyes.

"I-I meant _fuck_  it I'll _date_ him!" He corrected quickly. Shiro laughed and Lance wanted to die.

"Oh geez," he wheezed.

"Oh my, that's quite the mess up," Shiro said wiping a tear away from his eye.

"Y-yeah…" Lance stuttered.

"How do you know Keith?" Hunk asked Shiro.

"Oh, I'm his brother," Shiro answered. Lance felt all life and color drain his face.

"H-he didn't mention he had a brother!" Lance almost shouted. Shiro frowned.

"Well…we're not brothers like we're related. We've just known each other for such a long time that he's basically my younger brother," Shiro told them.

"O-oh…" that made Lance feel a little better, but not by much.

"Well, anyways, I should get back to managing my restaurant. It was nice meeting you two," Shiro said before leaving them. Lance let out a sigh of relief and Hunk couldn't help but laugh.

     Keith was still hiding in the kitchen when Shiro returned. The younger one could tell there was mischief in the others eyes the moment he spotted them. Plus the grin that spread the entirety of Shiro's face didn't make him look that innocent either. He sighed and groaned as Shiro approached him.

"What did you do?" Keith asked.

"I met your boyfriend, and might I say he's a lovely boy," Shiro announced and tied the apron around Keith's waist again. "He's a little…strange and awkward, but better strange and awkward than menacing and manipulative," he said tying it tight. Keith grunted and tugged his hips away.

"I know Zak was a bad boyfriend from the start, okay? I learned my lesson," Keith grumbled.

"Obviously. Lance is the exact opposite of that asshole," Shiro agreed and spotted a tray of root beer and Coke. "Is this headed out to table fifteen?"

"Yeah."

"Here," Shiro took the tray and then handed it to Keith. "Go say hi to your boyfriend," he urged. Keith turned bright red again and vigorously shook his head.

"N-no! I-I-"

"I won't take no for an answer. Get out there!" Shiro urged and gently pushed him out of the kitchen.

     Once Keith was out of the kitchen he suddenly felt extremely exposed. He kept his head down so his fringe kept his face hidden, but when he peeked through it he instantly spotted Lance's table. He took a deep breath and walked towards it. He was wearing that one baseball teeshirt again. Keith loved that shirt. Dammit, did Lance know he would be working tonight? Keith was positive he told Lance he would be working yesterday at Wendy's. He was totally plotting against him. That's something Lance would do. He'd waste his valuable money on expensive burgers just to tease Keith. How cruel.

     He approached the table slowly but surely and gnawed on his lower lip until he was there. Hunk was teasing Lance about something, but stopped when he noticed Keith with their drinks. Keith kept his eyes down as he set down Hunk's root beer in front of him and picked up Lance's Coke to give to him. He knew the Coke belonged to Lane because he remembered Lance talking him how much he hated root beer. He set down Lance's cup, but felt warm fingers against his before the cup touched the table. His heart raced and he accidentally looked at Lance the moment their fingers touched. He was met with wide blue eyes.

"Keith?"

     Fingers slipped and Coke spilled all over the table. Keith turned even more red and pulled out a towel from his apron. He muttered an apology and moped up the sticky liquid. Lance was staring at him, and he could feel those bright blue eyes boring in to him. His fingers were still trembling as he picked up the now semi empty cup of Coke. He held his now soaked towel and stood awkwardly in front of them.

"I-I'll go get you another one," Keith stuttered before escaping off to the drinks station.

     Once he was in the station he gave his job to one of his co-workers before making a dash for the doors. He was suddenly submerged in the cold night air, and he gulped down every breath. There were people still coming in and out, so he walked away from the entrance until he was in a less crowded area. He sighed once he was alone and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Fuck," he sighed.

"Rough night?" Spoke a familiar voice. Keith looked up to the terrible sound and glared at the man leaning against a nearby car.

"Zak."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for how long this update has taken. I'm still in a little bit of a rut…hopefully you guys understand?
> 
> I'm still available to chat on sc: KseniaLynnS
> 
> And tumblr: fryingpanss.tumblr.com
> 
> And twitter of course: @n0t_an_artist


	6. Confrontational

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: past abuse, csa(child sexual assault), emotional/mental abuse and manipulation, transphobia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops

"Evening sweetheart," Zak grinned. The scars tearing up and down his lips made Keith's stomach turn. He tried not to think about that particular memory, but it had haunted him for so long. Instead he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"The least you could do is respect my pronouns," Keith muttered. He crossed his arms.

"What? Do you want me to call you dude?" His voice was as deep as Keith remembered it, and it cracked with age and smoke.

"I don't want you to call me anything," Keith responded bitterly. 

     Zak took his cigarette from between his gnarled lips and huffed out a breath of smoke. He tapped the ashes on the sidewalk as he approached Keith. That disgusting twisted smile returned across his face as he took the cig between his lips again.

"Don't be like that, baby," he hummed. His hand slipped over Keith's waist and his body went ridged under the older man's touch. Keith took a deep breath, but ended up choking on the smoke that Zak was blowing in his face. "My my, you've changed," he said look Keith's body up and down.

"For-" Keith coughed. "For the better," he croaked and waved the lingering smoke away. Zak took his cigarette in again and circled around Keith.

"You're not as curvy," he grumbled and ran both hands up from Keith's hips to his waist. The younger yelped and pushed himself away from those cold familiar hands. Keith clenched his jaw and swallowed hard.

"D-don't touch me! I'm not your little toy anymore," he growled. His hand instinctively went to where he kept his pocket knife. Zak laughed. It sounded like sandpaper on asphalt.

"You're voice is different too. It's deeper. You probably can't make those pretty little moans like you used to," he spoke and let out another huff of smoke. Keith blushed and glared at Zak.

"Yeah, well that doesn't matter to you because you'll never hear anything from me again. Goodnight," Keith said swiftly before turning his heel.

"Wait! Wait wait wait, please," Zak begged and grabbed Keith's wrist. He tried to twist out of the older man's grip but failed. Instead of giving in, Keith kept himself stubbornly faced away from Zak.

"Look, I know I made a lot of mistakes, Kaci-"

"Keith," he interrupted harshly, barely peeking over his shoulder. Zak sighed.

"I know I made a lot of mistakes, but…I've changed, baby. I'm more mature, and so are you. We can make this work," he said. Keith tried to tug his wrist away again and only ended up with his face in Zak's chest. He pushed himself away only to find an arm around his waist and cold calloused fingers stroking his cheek.

"I still love you, baby," he murmured. Keith struggled in his grip and whimpered. It had been so long since he's heard those words spoken to him. "I'm still _in_ love with you. I never stopped loving you, Ka-" Zak cut himself off and sighed. "I never stopped loving you…since the day you left me, Keith," he whispered.

     Keith's world shattered around him. He could feel his fingers trembling against Zak's chest and he hated every tremor. His eyes started to water as he glared up at that ugly beat up face. He loathed it with all his heart, and it killed him that those words still sparked something inside him. It wasn't right. This wasn't what Keith wanted, yet the way his name sound on Zak's lips made him want to sob with relief. _His_  name. His _actual_  name. He bit his trembling lip as Zak leaned closer.

"I've missed you so much, pumpkin. I've spent nights thinking about you, and your body. We can be together now," Zak said. Keith barely shook his head as a tear fell down his face. He could feel clammy breath against his neck, and he couldn't move. "Everything can go back to the way it was."

"No," Keith sobbed. His voice cracked and he shut his eyes. He held a hand over his mouth and felt tears soak between his fingers.

"Baby, it's okay. I know it won't be _exactly_ the same, but…" he drew back and pressed his forehead against Keith's. The young man refused to look up at him until he felt the pressure against his head disappear. When he opened his eyes he found Zak too close to him and then felt a finger under his chin. "I'm confident you at least kept _that_  intact just for me," he hummed and kissed Keith.

     It was like he was drowning all over again. He was violently thrown back to his past. Nights filled with anxiety and doubt and fear only to be soothed by sweet nothings and soft lips. Lips that weren't even soft anymore. Lips that Keith wished he never knew the texture of in the first place. His lungs filled with death as Zak drew back, and he couldn't stop the rivers flowing over his cheeks. His throat was dry and he couldn't muster a sound as his eyes blanked out. He didn't want this.

"C'mon, baby. Let's run away together-"

"No," he managed.

"Kaci-"

" _Don't_ call me that," Keith sobbed and finally managed to push Zak away.

"Baby-"

"Stop talking to me! Don't ever touch me again!" Keith snapped. He pulled out his pocket knife and flicked it open as a warning. Zak eyed the blade and Keith could tell it took him by surprise. He held up his hands defensively.

"Whoa…okay…Kaci-"

"Keith," he hissed.

"…Keith…put that away. You might hurt yourself-"

"No! The only person who has ever hurt me is _you_ , and I'm not gonna let you do it again!" Keith said. 

     Blood was coursing through his body. His voice trembled and his hand shook as he tried to hold the blade steady. The adrenaline made it hard to stand still as Keith glared at Zak. His head was in a million different places, and he just wanted Zak to leave him alone. Clouds puffed in front of him as he breathed extra heavy from the weight on his chest and his throat. Zak's cigarette has fallen from his lips. Those cut up lips were more chilling in a frown than a grin.

"You're still such a child," Zak spat. His words chipping away at Keith's heart. "You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you. You're still just a selfish little girl," he continued. Keith gritted his teeth and he held his hand to his mouth to hold back the sobs that were ripping from his throat.

"I was hoping you would be mature enough now, but it appears you're an even bigger disappointment-"

"God, just shut the fuck up," Keith croaked.

"What happened to the Kaci i used to kno-"

"You killed her!" Keith snapped. He gripped the knife harder, but didn't dare raise it. Despite the visual threat, he didn't have the courage to actually raise a blade to Zak. It would hurt him too.

     Before Keith could say another word he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He shivered and let his head down as he registered Shiro's presence next to him. The tension he felt earlier had instantly resolved as a massive headache rushed to his temples. A relieved sigh fell from his lips that gently faded into a sob. The warm hand flattened against his back and rubbed comfortingly.

"What are you doing here?" Shiro spoke in a stern voice. Keith didn't want to look at Zak's expression, but he guessed it was either annoyed or disgusted.

"Heh…it's been a while, Takashi," his voice slithered against Keith's skin.

"You're not allowed to be here," Shiro announced.

"Says who?" Zak challenged.

"The court…and the _restraining order_ …and me," Shiro listed. Zak scoffed.

"What power do you have? You're not her legal guardian," he spat. Shiro bit his lip in frustration and wrapped his arm around Keith's shoulder.

"Well. For one I'm the manager. As for Keith, _he_  doesn't need a guardian because _he's_  an adult… _now_ ," he muttered the last part under his breath.

"Whatever, Takashi. I'm not leaving until I get an answer from Kaci," he insisted.

"I already said no!" Keith snapped again.

"Kac-"

"Zak, don't make me call the police," Shiro threatened. Zak glared at him, his pale blue eyes cold as ice. "Again," he said through clenched teeth.

"Fine…but don't think this is over. I'm still in love with Kaci, and there's nothing you can do about it," he hissed.

"If you truly loved Keith, you wouldn't be calling him Kaci," Shiro replied calmly. Zak merely curled his lip in dissatisfaction and turned back to his junkie car. It sputtered to life as the older man pulled out and drove away.

     Keith's body was still shaking as Shiro watched Zak's car disappear from sight. His fingers were now too weak for him to hold a knife, and the metal clattered against the sidewalk. He instantly clung to Shiro and buried his face into his shoulder. With shaky breaths and a racing heart Keith sobbed as quietly as he could manage into his closest friend. His brother and his mentor who had protected him again like he had so many years ago. Keith suddenly felt like he was in high school again. Crying into Shiro's arms again from the damage Zak had done. His throat burned and his fingers weakly grasped at Shiro's shirt as the older man comforted Keith.

"It's okay…he's gone," Shiro assured him.

"I-I didn't…h-he…" Keith couldn't string together a simple sentence. He was too busy shivering from the emotional rush and the cold night air.

"C'mon, let's get you inside. You must be freezing," Shiro urged. Keith only nodded as he choked on another sob.

"Okay," he murmured. He pulled his face away and wiped his tears with his forearm as Shiro guided him back inside the restaurant. He didn't dare look at Lance's table as he was escorted in to the kitchen and away for some privacy.

 

* * *

 

     Pidge was still coughing and hacking by the time Keith got back home. The poor girl was nestled under three blankets and a mountain of tissues next to her. Keith's eyes were still a little puffy and red, but when he walked into their dorm room he was relieved to be cloaked by darkness. There was an episode of coughing and hacking from Pidge's bunk and Keith felt pity for her as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Pidge. How ya doing?" He asked gently. She groaned from her top bunk.

"Kill me," she croaked.

"I can't do that, I'd miss you too much," Keith replied. "Can I turn the lights on?"

"Yeah," she sighed. Keith flicked the switch and his roommate groaned again.

"Ugh…so bright," she whined. Keith smiled.

"Do you want your soup now or tomorrow?" He asked holding up the cup of clam chowder he snagged. Pidge peeked over the railing and locked her eyes on the container.

"Gimme," she replied and reached it with grabby hands. Keith chuckled and handed her the soup and a spoon.

"Fresh out of the kitchen," he replied.

"Yessssss, it's still hot," she said with a smile as she popped open the lid. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," he said. 

     Keith left Pidge to her soup as he set down his bag and pulled off his work shirt. His binder felt exceptionally tight tonight. Mostly because he was wearing it longer than he should, but also because of his emotional breakdown earlier. He dug his nails under the fabric and wiggled himself out of it before letting it drop to the ground. Once he was topless he immediately sought out one of his loose fitting tee-shirts from their dresser and covered himself again. After that he addressed his lower half.

"Aren't you gonna take a shower?" Pidge asked.

"Maybe in the morning. I'm exhausted," he responded and undid his belt.

"Really? You always shower after work," Pidge pointed out. Keith sighed and dropped his pants.

"It was…a rough shift," he said vaguely.

"A rough shift?" Pidge questioned. Keith closed the dresser and put on his pajama bottoms.

"Yeah," he sighed and wobbled over to turn off the light. He then flopped over in his bed and it was silent. Pidge didn't speak for a moment, and when she opened her mouth instead of words coughing came out. Keith let out a deep breath and reached for his sleep medicine on his nightstand.

"Wha-" Pidge coughed. "Why was it-" another cough. "Why was it such a rough shift?" She finally managed.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Keith replied blandly. Pidge frowned and glared at the darkness.

"Keith," she said in a warning voice. He sighed.

"I…my ex was there," he spoke in a quiet voice. More silence filled the room.

"Oh…you mean…"

"Zak," Keith murmured. It left a sour taste on his tongue, and he could still smell the cigarette smoke.

"How did he find you?" Pidge asked.

"I don't know."

"Well…do you know where he is?"

"No."

"Why did he come see you?" Pidge's voice only got quieter with each question. Keith bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. He took a deep breath and released his lower lip.

"He…he wanted me to run away with him…he said things could go back to the way they were," Keith told her. Once again it was silent, but the silence was soon interrupted by another coughing fit.

"I'm-" cough. "I'm so-" more coughing. "I'm so sorry, Keith," and then more coughing.

"Its not your fault," Keith said after the coughing had passed.

"I know, but…man that's tough. Like you've only told me about it, but…I can only imagine what being around him does to you," Pidge said. Keith blinked his eyes open and ran a hand through his fringe.

"Yeah…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that took a dark turn, but at least we're getting a glimpse into Keith's past. I was starting to think we didn't know much about him in this story so it was time to bring up some old trauma :/


	7. Fucked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance witnessed some things and is realizing some things as well

Keith: hey. Sorry about spilling your drink at Red Robin's. I was kinda nervous.

 

Keith: hello?

 

Keith: did you lose your phone again?

 

Keith: Lance, I'd appreciate it if you responded. It's been a day or so…

 

Keith: I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow…unless you're gonna avoid me there too.

 

     Lance sighed as he read through his messages from Keith. He gritted his teeth as he read the last one and cursed under his breath. He forgot about class. Was avoiding Keith a good enough reason to skip? Probably not…but he could actively avoid Keith in the classroom, right? Who was he kidding? Keith was storm up to him the moment Lance showed up to class and demand to know why he hadn't responded to any of his texts. Of course Lance would instantly be nervous instead of mad like he was now, but eventually he'd have to tell Keith what he saw.

"You okay, Lance? You've been glaring at your phone all day, and super moody since like…Red Robin's," Hunk said. Lance sighed.

"No," he replied and put his phone away. He crossed his arms and looked up at the top bunk.

"Okay…what's wrong?" He asked. Lance gnawed on his lower lip and his leg twitched. He fidgeted in his bed with agitation and sighed again. "C'mon, Lance. Tell me what's up. It's obviously bothering you," Hunk prompted from their singular chair.

"Keith has been cheating on me!" Lance blurted. He clasped his hand over his mouth and groaned.

"Wait, what?" Hunk asked. He was obviously shocked by Lance's outburst. He took his hand away from his mouth.

"When I went out to check on him…he was with this other dude, and they kissed," Lance told him. Hunk was silent for a moment.

"Oh…wow," he breathed. Lance nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well…isn't that a good thing?"

"What?" Lance looked at Hunk like he was crazy.

"I mean…you wanted to break it off with him, right? Because you don't have feelings for him? This is the perfect opportunity," Hunk replied. Lance opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when he realized Hunk was right. Oh yeah. He wanted Keith to break up with him…so why did it hurt so much? Lance groaned and covered his face with his hands.

"Fuck," he growled.

"C'mon, Lance. What are you so worked up about? You told me you didn't like him that way. What's the big dea-"

"Because it still _hurts_ , Hunk!" Lance snapped. Hunk sighed.

"Lance-"

"I mean, I don't have to have feelings for Keith to be hurt. He told me he likes me, and that he wouldn't break up with me! He was like nice and stuff, a-and he seemed really into me. It's kinda fucked up that he would say all that and then cheat on me," Lance explained.

"Just like it's kinda fucked up that you're in a relationship with a guy you don't even like?" Hunk questioned. Lance was silent for a moment and wiggled uncomfortably in his bed.

"That's…Ugh. It's not the same, Hunk," he grumbled.

"I can agree it's not the same, but Lance…it's now or never dude. You gotta break it off with him, and you've got the perfect excuse," Hunk told him.  
"I know…I just…not _right_ now," Lance sighed.

"Then when?"

"Tomorrow in class probably…I wanna do it in person," Lance replied. Hunk nodded.

"That sounds good," he murmured. Lance sighed again and closed his eyes.

"Yeah."

 

* * *

 

     Lance didn't have the guts to do it in person. He didn't even have the guts to look Keith in the eye when he walked in. The moment he spotted that mullet he knew he couldn't do it. It took everything he had to look at the ground as he walked past his usual spot and sat by himself a few rows up. Keith was staring daggers into Lance, and he could feel it. Lance merely ignored him to the best of his abilities and focused on the lecture that was starting.

     Throughout class Lance listened and wrote notes as necessary. He was quiet and he kept to himself and he only bounced his leg a little bit as he wrote in his notebook. Every now and again he'd risk a glance to the back of Keith's head, but he couldn't look for long without getting mad again. This was really starting to get to him…and he hated it.

     It was at this point where Lance knew he was fucked. He was fucked with all capital letters italicizes and bolded with an underline. Not just because Keith was cheating on him, but because the fact that he was so upset meant he definitely felt something. Lance had a point. He didn't have to like Keith to be upset about being cheated on, but Lance has been cheated on before and it didn't hurt nearly as much now as it did then. Now it stung with each pulse of his heart, and the imagine of Keith with that other man was stuck in his head. Even when he tried to forget it was constantly in the back of his head. Like a bad dream or an awful after taste. It tainted everything around him.

     Lance was snapped back to reality as students started packing up their supplies. He quickly shoved his stuff in his backpack in hopes he wasn't too late to run past Keith, and stood up to find himself face to face with exactly who he was avoiding. Lance's eyes widened as Keith crossed his arms and stood waiting for him to speak. A few awkward moments of silence passed and then Lance started to climb up and over the rows of chairs in the lecture hall.

"What the-Lance!" Keith shouted.

"Sorry! I must attend a function elsewhere!" Lance called over his shoulder as he climbed over in the aisle above them and started literally running away.

"Get back here!" Keith growled.

"Can't! I'm-oh _shit!_ " Lance scrambled away faster as Keith started to go after him. "Oh no-"

"Oh no is right, _McClain_ ," Keith said as he easily climbed up into the same asile as Lance. Unfortunately that was the moment Lance's long limbs proved to be too long. His foot snagged on a chair as he attempted to climb up another row and ended up falling over and sliding down on the ground. Keith stood over him with crossed arms, and Lance groaned as he pushed himself to sit up.

"What the hell, Lance?" Keith asked. Lance took a couple heavy breaths before glaring up at his _cheating_ boyfriend. It was easier to remember why he was upset now that he was humiliated and his butt was sore. He wiped the spit that had gotten on his face from falling and stayed on the ground.

"What the hell is right, Kogane," Lance muttered and looked away. Keith blinked down at Lance and offered a hand to help him up. Lance ignored his gesture and stood up on his own.

"Lance, what's going o-"

"Nothing. I'm fine," Lance lied.

"La-"

"I just lied to you. I'm not fine. Very much not fine," Lance sighed. It didn't take long for him to give in. He put his hand over his face and then lead his fingers through his hair.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked. Lance laughed bitterly and faced away from him.

"What's wrong? Wow. That's a good question. Why don't you ask your second boyfriend, Keith? Or better yet, your only boyfriend now," Lance scoffed. He turned to leave but Keith quickly caught him by the wrist.

"Wait, second boyfriend? What are you talking about?" Keith questioned. Lance looked back at him and then rolled his eyes at his confused expression.

"God, don't play dumb, Keith. It's bad enough that you're cheating on me don't make it worse by pretending you're not," Lance spat. His blood boiled. Confronting always brought out his worse. The only way he could describe Keith's expression was total shock.

"Cheating…Lance, what makes you think I'm cheating on you?" Keith demanded to know. His grip tightened ever so slightly and his voice strained. Lance blinked. Now he was the one who was surprised. He blushed a little and looked away again.

"I…I was worried about you…after you spilled my drink. You said you'd come back, and when you didn't I went to go look for you. The other guys at the drink station said you went outside and when I went out there…" Lance wished he was lying. It was devastating to him that he legitimately went looking for Keith because he was worried about him. As shitty as it sounds Lance has never cared for a partner as much as he cared for Keith.

"Oh geez…" Keith let go of Lance's wrist and rubbed his eyes out of exhaustion. Lance fully faced him and crossed his arms.

"Look…I-I get it. He's taller than me, probably stronger than me, and older and he probably has his life more put together, so…so I understand if you wanna leave me for-"

"Lance, that was Zak," Keith told him. Lance shifted uncomfortably. Putting a name to that face didn't make things any better.

"…okay he has a cooler name too-"

"No, Lance, he's…he's a piece of shit," Keith interrupted. Lance frowned.

"I don't…understand," he said. Keith sighed and bit his lip. He fidgeted with his hair and looked around avoiding Lance's gaze, but when he finally looked back Lance could've sworn they were glossy and pink.

"Lance, trust me when I say I would never cheat on you," he spoke quietly. He started to fidget with his fingers too. Lance wanted to reach out and sooth him, but he was reluctant. "Zak is…its complicated, but he's an old boyfriend, and he came on to me, but…" Keith trailed off and bit his lip again. His eyes were to the floor again and Lance tried to capture them again. He reached out and touched Keith's shoulder.

"…are you okay?" Lance asked. Keith sniffled and reached up to wipe at his eyes.

"I'm…fine," Keith lied. Lance frowned again and grabbed both of Keith's shoulders.

"Why don't we go out and get some ice cream?" He suggested. Keith kept his face hidden beneath his fringe. "This time I'll pay," Lance added. Keith laughed and sniffled before shaking his head.

"We both know you couldn't even afford a clown cone from Baskin-Robbins," he replied.

"Hey. That might be true, but it's still rude. Fuck you," Lance replied. Keith laughed.

"I'll pay for myself, but if you insist on paying for something you can pay for yourself too," Keith told him. Lance shrugged.

"Sounds good to me. C'mon, let's go."

     Lance slid his hand down Keith's arm and grabbed it before leading him out of the lecture hall. His mind had completely blanked the moment Keith was obviously upset. Seeing him withdraw like that and struggle to look at Lance was painful. So painful that Lance couldn't stand it. He forgot about his anger and the "perfect" opportunity he had and instead only focused on making Keith happy again. He rushed down the stairs and Keith laughed as he was tugged along.

"S-slow down," he giggled as they reached the door.

"Then come _on_ ," Lance urged and pulled him out the door. Keith tripped and landed in Lance's arms finally outside the classroom. He laughed and blushed with embarrassment, but Lance merely dragged him further down the hall.

"Lance!" Keith got ahold of his footing and stood up with Lance's arms still around him. The loss of weight in his arms caused Lance to swerve into the wall. He laughed as Keith's body was pinned to his and kept his arms securely around Keith.

"Shit, Are you okay?" Keith asked. Lance nodded.

"I'm fine," he assured him. Keith smiled and rested his forehead against Lance's.

"Good," he murmured. Lance reached up and brushed some of Keith's hair out of his face.

"Are you okay?" Lance asked. Keith sighed.

"I'm okay as long as I'm with you," he replied. 

     Lance blinked. His heart suddenly felt heavy in his chest as Keith's eyes were shielded by his skin and long dark eyelashes. He could feel it everywhere. In his head and in his bones he could feel it. That heaviness and that warmth and that tingling sensation. Keith let out a heavy breath and it hit Lance's skin in a way that made him subconsciously hold Keith tighter. His fingers trembled for every moment until they touched under Keith's chin. Those beautiful navy eyes were in view again and Lance absolutely knew in that moment it was all useless. Resisting was useless. Arguing was useless. Screaming and accusing was all useless. He couldn't say no to Keith no matter what he did or what he told himself.

     Before Lance knew it his lips were on Keith's. It wasn't a lustful or deep kiss, nor was it light and fluffy. Instead it was warm and meaningful. His mouth tingled like his bones every moment he was in contact with Keith. All he could think about in that moment was how nice it felt to be here. To be with Keith. To touch and to hold and to kiss _Keith_. Never in his life had Lance felt this way during a kiss. It was like slowly sinking in a warm pool of water and submerging in an entirely different world. His brain was numb and when they finally broke the kiss he was speechless. Keith was standing there unchanged with a smile. He smiled as if that wasn't the most amazing kiss ever, but then again he has probably felt that ever since their first kiss. That thought made Lance's chest hurt, and he immediately leaned in for another kiss.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you," Lance whispered when he pulled back again. Keith sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Zak is…he's trouble," Keith told him. Lance frowned.

"How? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," Lance said. Keith bit his lip again.

"C'mon. I'll tell you over ice cream."


	8. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finally admits it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mentions of past abuse, rape mention, pedophilia mention

     The drive to Baskin-Robin's was quiet. It wasn't an uncomfortable quiet, but it definitely raised a couple questions in Lance's head. He stared at Keith as he drove and laughed whenever he got caught. Because he didn't care if he got caught anymore. His eyes ran over Keith's profile and admired to sharp point of his nose and his soft lips. The way that rose colored skin pulled into a smile was heavenly, and Lance didn't hold himself back from truly describing the beauty of the boy sat next to him. Instead he embraced it and appreciated it while Keith quietly sang along with the radio.

     When they finally pulled up to Baskin-Robin's it was well past noon. Neither of them had had lunch, but neither of them seemed to care or remember. Keith held the door open for Lance and he stepped inside with a giddy smile. For some reason that tickled Lance more than it did before. There wasn't much of a line, but Keith made a point to check each flavor and ask Lance what he thought.

"Dude, you never take this long to pick out ice cream," Lance giggled. He had his arms crossed in attempt to keep his hands to himself. Who knows how long it would take for his fingers to slowly slip between Keith's.

"If I'm being completely honest, I'm stalling," Keith replied. "What about bubblegum?"

"Ick," Lance replied. "Stalling what?"

"My time with Zak wasn't exactly fun, so I'm stalling explaining it to you," Keith answered. Lance blinked at his unwavering honesty and frowned.

"If it's too much…you don't have-"

"I should," Keith said quickly. "You asked, and it wouldn't be right to you if I didn't tell you about this. It's kind of a big deal," he told him.

"Oh…"

"I think I'll go with vanilla," Keith decided.

"You always get Vanilla," Lance pointed out. Keith shrugged.

"I told you I was stalling."

"Oh _wow_ ," Lance said and rolled his eyes.

    Keith ordered his ice cream and ended up ordering Lance's too. Despite his boyfriend's protests, Keith paid for both of them as always. Lance grumpily accepted his waffle cone with two scoops and sat down at a table with Keith. Once again it was silent between them, except unlike in the car it was now tense. Keith was nervous, and he wasn't exactly trying to hide it. He spooned at his ice cream while Lance waited for him to speak.

"Are…you still stalling?" Lance asked quietly. Keith nodded.

"Sorry. It's just…" he sighed ran his fingers through his fringe. "He makes me so angry, and I usually lose my temper when I think or talk about him."

"It's okay. I'm here to listen," Lance assured him. Keith stuck his spoon in his bowl and put both of his hands on the table.

"Well the first thing I wanna say is…I was young and dumb a-and I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing or what Zak was doing to me and-" Keith went quiet as Lance's hand slipped over his. Warm tan fingers wrapped around him, and Lance rubbed his thumb against the back of his hand. Keith let out a breath and squeezed Lance's hand in appreciation.

"I met Zak when I was fifteen. I was working at my first job in a bowling alley and he would bowl with his friends every once in a while. He…he took an interest in me, and I liked him because he was so mature and cool. It would've worked out fine, but…he was twenty three at the time," Keith started. Lance furrowed his brows.

"Twenty three?" He asked. Keith nodded.

"At the time I thought that was cool, but now I know that was pretty fucked up," Keith said.

"That would make him like…thirty one now," Lance pointed out. Keith nodded.

"Almost. February ninth," he replied.

"Are you serious?" Lance asked incredulously. Keith nodded again.

"We didn't start dating until I was sixteen, but right away he was rather explicit with what he thought about me…what he wanted to do with me," Keith murmured. He took a moment to dip in to the memories and shivered when Zak's exact words popped into his head. "Disgusting things," Keith said glaring at his ice cream.

"God, Keith-"

"I dated him for two years…it was Shiro who finally stepped in. They're around the same age, but by the time Shiro intervened most of the damage had already been done," Keith continued. Lance blinked.

"What…what did he do?" Lance spoke cautiously. Keith's grip had tightened as he continued, and it was starting to hurt Lance. Keith took a deep breath and bit his lip. He realized just how strong his grip was and relaxed his fingers.

"He really fucked with me. Got me into drugs and alcohol. I didn't graduate on time. Almost couldn't graduate at all, and only the community college would accept me after that…" Keith trailed off and took another deep breath. "I wasn't a dumb kid either. Everything was good until he came along. I had good grades and I had friends and a job…everything a stereotypical teenager could want. I even had my permit, but that quickly expired. Thanks to Shiro I'm almost back to normal."

"He's a great guy," Lance said nodding. Keith laughed a little.

"That's right you met him. God, that was humiliating…"

"It's good you have someone who's looking out for you," Lance told him. Keith nodded and took a shaky inhale.

"I let him down a lot. I didn't tell him about Zak until I was eighteen, and Shiro immediately reported him. That night was so stressful, but I'm glad he did it."

"Did Zak just get you into drugs or…" Lance didn't finish his question, but he didn't need to. Keith sighed and looked up at Lance before shaking his head.

"I wish," Keith spoke softly. "He…he took advantage of me…abused me…raped me," Keith confessed. With each word he tilted his head down with shame. Lance adjusted his grip on Keith's hand.

"Keith, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Lance assured him. Keith shook his head.

"These are _his_ wrong doings, _his_ dirty secrets, not mine," Keith spoke as if he was retelling something that was repeated to him over and over again. Lance could only assumed Shiro put Keith through therapy.

"That's right. You didn't do anything wrong," Lance reassured him. Keith took another deep breath.

"Sorry, it's just…he got so into my head, and-"

"Keith, it's okay. You don't need to explain yourself to me," Lance interrupted. Keith nodded. "Hey," Lance reached up and lifted Keith's chin to look at him again. "You're okay."

"I…I know that," Keith nodded.

     Lance stood up and struggled to move his chair around the table with one hand. He moved right next to Keith and cursed as the chair legs clacked against the table legs. Keith giggled and Lance cursed him for getting him a cone. When he finally settled next to Keith, Lance wrapped his arms around him. Keith laughed again and returned the embrace. He buried his face into Lance's shoulder and let his jacket soak up the tears that were barely clinging on to his lashes.

"You're safe with me and you're safe with Shiro. We'll beat up Zak together because I dunno if I could beat him up alone. I'd try, but who knows. I mean my arms aren't very strong-"

"Your arms are fine, Lance," Keith assured him. He peeked up at his boyfriend with a grin and appreciated the slight blush on Lance's cheeks.

"Fine as in thin, right? Because I've got noodle arms," Lance pointed out.

"I like these noodle arms," Keith replied and pinched his bicep through his jacket.

"Hey!" Lance jerked back his arm and glared at Keith. "Careful, I bruise easy."

"Like a peach?" Keith asked reaching to pinch again. Lance quickly pulled his arm out of the way.

"I show you affection and this is how you repay me? Unbelievable. I thought you liked me," Lance said.

"I do like you," Keith replied. Lance blinked down at him with pink cheeks. For some reason he wasn't expecting that. "I like you a lot, Lance," Keith added in a soft voice and played with the hairs on his nape. Lance turned beat red.

"I…I like you too, Keith," Lance said.

"Yeah?" Keith questioned. His grin returned and Lance nodded. He smiled back.

"Yeah. I like you too," he confirmed.

"How much do you like me?"

"Too much," Lance hummed and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Is too much really a thing?" Keith questioned. Lance chuckled and kissed the corner of his mouth.

"It is with me," he murmured.

"What does that mean?" Keith asked. Lance kissed him on the mouth before answering.

"It means I've never liked someone the way I like you," he answered honestly. Keith blushed and giggled.

"Then I guess the feeling is mutual," Keith replied. Lance grinned before kissing him again. His lips lingered a little longer, and he found himself following Keith when he pulled back. Giggles bursted between their mouths and Lance was addicted to the sound.

"Finish your ice cream. I didn't pay for that for you to let it melt," he sassed and turned to his bowl.

     Lance frowned and obediently ate his treat. His arm lingered around Keith's shoulders and soon Keith was leaning against him again. He held Keith closer and rubbed his shoulder. Their bodies seemed to fit perfectly against each other as they ate in comfortable silence. Lance couldn't help but run his fingers through thick black hair and watch Keith's reaction's. He smiled and giggled at the way Lance stroked his hair and pulled dark strands out of his hair. Eventually a blush rose to his face and Lance loved the color.

     Lance ate his ice cream slower than usual. Normally he was quick to finish, but today he was distracted by just how lovely it felt being around Keith. He wondered if Keith experienced their kisses the same way. He wondered if his heart fluttered the same way Lance's did whenever they were close or within eyesight of each other. If Keith felt the same heaviness in his chest and in his bones and in his head that Lance was feeling. He hoped so. The way he leaned his head on Lance's shoulder with that blissful expression was a pure gift. Out of all the people Lance had met in his life, he was the most grateful for meeting Keith.

"What's taking you so long?" Keith asked. Lance had been absentmindedly licking out his half eaten cone when Keith spoke up again. He blinked.

"Sorry," he replied and took a big bite out of his waffle cone.

"Thanks…by the way," Keith muttered.

"For what?" Lance asked with a mouthful of waffle cone.

"Listening to me, and being understanding. I tried telling another guy about it and it didn't work out this well," Keith informed him. Lance frowned.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He was weirded out and accused me for having a kink for older men because he's like a year or two older than me," Keith replied.

"That's super fucked up. Who is it? I'll beat him up with my noodle arms," Lance offered. Keith chuckled and shook his head.

"It's whatever. I don't even remember it," he said. Lance shook his head and finally finished his cone.

"He's wrong," he said and wrapped his arms around Keith. "You're precious," he pressed a kiss to Keith's cheek. "And amazing," another kiss on his head. "And the cutest person ever," he finished with a kiss on the lips. Keith laughed and blushed.

"What's gotten into you today? You're not usually this affectionate," Keith pointed out. Lance blushed.

"D-do I need a reason to give you affection?" He stuttered.

"I guess not. I mean I'm not complaining," Keith murmured and nuzzled against his cheek. Lance smiled.

"I didn't know you were so into physical affection," Lance teased lightly. Keith blushed again and Lance smiled wider.

"I-I'm into anything you do, really. I've…liked you for quite sometime," Keith admitted. Lance blinked.

"Really?"

"Uh…"

"How long?"

"We should get going. Let's head back," Keith said and stood up. Lance was about to protest, but Keith was already halfway to the door. He quickly scrambled after his boyfriend and slipped his hand into Keith's as they walked out with each other.

"Seriously, how long?" Lance asked.

"Mmmmm the whole term maybe…the moment I saw you?" Keith murmured quietly.

" _The_  moment you saw me? The _exact_ moment?" Lance questioned. Keith nodded with his head down. The small amount of his face that Lance could see was deep red. "That's pretty cute."

"Sh-shut up-"

"How does it feel when we kiss?" Lance asked abruptly. Keith stopped in front of his car and looked at Lance with wide eyes.

"W-what?" He stuttered.

"When we kiss," Lance stepped closer. "How does it feel?" He asked again. Keith wetted his lips and glanced at Lance's. He backed up against his car and Lance only stepped closer.

"It…i-it feels…" he trailed off. Lance's hands were on his waist and he swallowed hard. "…feels like…the most amazing thing in the world," he breathed. Lance smiled and brushed his lips against Keith's.

"The feeling is mutual."


	9. Intimate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finds out what he's been missing for most of the term

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little bit longer. Mostly making out and fluff

     Lance kissed Keith silly. He struggled to keep his hands and lips to himself and they hadn't even pulled out of the parking lot. The sun was already starting to set despite it being sunny not too long ago, but then again who knows how long they've been at it. Last time Lance checked the time it was two, but with the early winter nights and how distant time felt when they kissed two more hours easily could've passed. Plus he actually hadn't checked the time in a while. Either way it was getting dark and Lance couldn't stop kissing Keith.

     It was cold, so cold that they had to stop for Keith to turn on the car and turn up the heater. Once that was dealt with they were instantly back at it. Lance's fingers couldn't stay away from Keith's hair, and Keith couldn't stop his content sighs and subtle soft moans of approval. After what felt like (and very well could've been) hours of kissing Keith moved over and straddled Lance's lap. His arms wrapped around Lance's neck and he sighed as his weight settled. Warm tan hands instantly found Keith's waist. Thumbs rubbed against his hip bones and he deepened the kiss.

     It was a familiar position for Keith. Memories flashed in his head that he tried to push aside so he could focus on Lance. Only  _Lance_. The one who was with him in that moment. Not Zak that always pulled him in this position and roughly groped him with untrimmed nails. _Lance_ who was softly trailing his hands up Keith's waist and nudging him closer. _Lance_ who was gingerly nibbling on his bottom lip instead of gnawing and biting on it. Drawing blood and abusing it like-

"What's wrong?" Lance asked gently.

     Keith had pulled back with heavy breathing. He furrowed his brows and shook his head. Why couldn't he just escape him? He took a deep breath and rested his forehead against Lance's. The warm hands on his waist left and were replaced with tender arms.

"Sorry…it's just…I was always in this position with him," Keith told him. Lance frowned.

"Really?" Keith nodded.

"I was _always_  submissive to him," he replied. Lance bit his lip and nudged Keith's body off of him. He slipped back into his seat, and was pleasantly surprised when Lance straddled him instead.

"Ow, ow. Oh my I am not that flexible. Ahh-Haa, this is cramped-" Lance yelped as his back accidentally pressed on the horn and the car honked. "Shit!"

     Keith covered his mouth to hold back his laughter, but he was soon yelping himself when Lance tugged on the chair lever on the side. Their heads collided as the chair was pushed back, and they both started to laugh. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance's waist and he giggled into his shoulder.

"You're such a dork," Keith mumbled.

"You're a bigger dork," Lance bit back and slipped his arms around Keith's neck like he did earlier.

"As if," Keith scoffed and pulled back to look up at Lance.

"This definitely feels different," Lance noticed. Keith nodded.

"Yeah. Same," he agreed.

"It's usually the other way around for me," Lance told him. Keith nodded. "But I kinda like this." Keith nodded again.

"It makes me feel…more masculine," Keith murmured mostly to himself.

"Masculine?" Lance questioned as he slipped off his jacket. With the heater and how close they were, they had warmed up quite a bit.

"Yeah," Keith hummed as he was distracted by Lance shedding a layer.

"Am I supposed to feel feminine?"

"Do you?"

"Kinda…but it's not a bad thing. I guess I kinda feel more sexy," Lance noted. Keith grinned.

"You look more sexy," he agreed. Lance blushed and laughed.

"Hold on." He reached down and pulled on the lever again. The seat bent back and their heads bonked against each other again.

"Shit!" Lance hissed. Keith rubbed his forehead and they both laughed again. 

     With the new angle Keith was nearly flat on his back looking up at Lance. Tan hands were on his stomach, and when Keith looked up at Lance the sunset made him glow. His body was perched perfectly on top of Keith, and his skin was shimmering with the pink sunset. Keith subconsciously slid his hand over Lance's knees as he continued to take in his image. His figure was nearly perfect. Although he was skinny he still had rather wide shoulders and small hips. His thighs captured Keith's body perfectly and he felt so at home between them. Lance's semi suggestive gaze and deep blush made Keith gape up at him and fully appreciate the brown boy's image.

"You okay?" Lance asked.

"You're beautiful," Keith breathed.

     A part of Keith ached. He so badly wanted those hips. Not just on him, but _as_  him. He wished his body was proportionate like that, and angular and sharp. He wanted wide shoulders and a waist that was tiny in comparison, but instead all he could do was admire the hips on top of him. His hand slid up Lance's thigh and to his waist.

"Huh?" Lance tilted his head curiously, and Keith's heart pounded.

"You're beautiful," he repeated. His eyes weren't shy as they looked Lance up and down and settled on his completely red face.

"Uh…I-I'm not sure how to respond to that…no one has called me _beautiful_ before. Except for, like, my mom," Lance said. Keith chuckled and sat up.

"How about you're extremely pleasing to look at?" He murmured against Lance's neck as his hands lead up his body. Lance squirmed a little, but calmed down as Keith kissed at his jaw. Pale hands slid down his arms and intertwined with his tan fingers.

"I…kinda like that better," Lance replied, his heart racing as Keith kissed more of his skin.

"Yeah?" Keith asked and nipped at the olive skin in front of him. Lance closed his eyes in bliss and grinned.

"Yeah…" he sighed. Keith continued to kiss and bite and lick a spot on Lance's neck.

"Do you like this?" Keith asked.

"Getting hickeys?" Lance responded blissfully leaning his body into Keith.

"You seem to like it," he noted.

"I may or may not have a soft spot for love bites," Lance said coyly and moved his head to mouth at Keith's neck instead. Keith immediately gave a pleased sigh. His hands were now empty as arms slid around his neck.

"I'll have to keep that in mi-ah!" Keith yelped as Lance pushed him down on the seat and they were both laughing again.

     Lance immediately went back to Keith's neck. He couldn't pry his lips from Keith's skin even if he wanted to. A part of him was obsessed with the new feeling that came with being around Keith, but another part of him was trying to makeup for lost time. Nights he didn't spend loving Keith's neck and his lips or taking advantage of the times Keith had kissed him. For all the times he didn't initiate the kiss, and let Keith take that leap instead. For all the times he thought about it and never did it. Once he was done with one spot he went to a different spot and started on another purpling kiss. Keith's hands drifted over his body and Lance loved the feeling. He loved Keith grabbing fistfuls of his shirt every time he nipped at his sensitive skin, and he loved the little gasps for breath. After leaving his fifth hickey he moved down to Keith's collarbones and sucked just below them.

"Lance," Keith sighed. His voice sounded beautiful. Lance moved down further and started to push his shirt up.

"Ah! W-wait!" Keith stuttered and tugged his shirt back down. Lance pulled back with lustful eyes and blinked at Keith. He was breathing heavy with bright red cheeks and holding the hem of his shirt securely over his hips. He swallowed hard.

"I-I dunno…if I'm ready for that just yet," he announced. Lance took a moment to shake himself out of his lustful daze, but quickly nodded and laughed a little.

"Sorry. I got a little ahead of myself," he replied. Keith blinked up at him, and Lance smiled down at him.

"You…you're okay with this?" He asked. Lance's smile faded.

"Okay with what?"

"Stopping? Not moving on?" He questioned. Lance frowned.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh god," Keith sighed and let his head down. He rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Lance asked.

"I feel like I don't deserve you, or you're too good to be true," Keith answered honestly. Lance furrowed his brows and leaned over him.

"What makes you feel that way?" He continued and moved Keith's hands away from his face.

"Zak…the other guy…no one listened to me the way you do," Keith said. Lance felt his heart drop.

"Geez, really?"

"Yeah," Keith nodded. Lance shook his head and leaned down to nuzzle against Keith's neck. He wrapped his arms around his waist and held him close.

"That's not right…that's _not right_ ," Lance murmured and sweetly kissed the spots he left. Keith giggled at how ticklish and overstimulated he was.

"Okay, _okay_. Lance!" He laughed. Lance grinned and then kissed his lips.

"You wanna come back to my dorm?" He asked and moved some of Keith's hair from his face. It was messy regardless, but Lance liked the intimacy of touching Keith anyway.

"F-for…sex-"

"No," Lance quickly interrupted. "Just…I wanna spend more time with you," he told him truthfully. Keith pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time.

"Fuck. It's nearly five," he said.

"Whoa, really? We came here around two."

"I know," Keith laughed.

"Do you have another class or something?" Lance asked.

"I have work around seven, and then another class around eleven," Keith replied.

"You take night classes?"

"Yeah. I have a lot of sleeping problems so I figured why not," Keith replied.

"Oh. Well in that case…do you wanna come over to my dorm until you have to take off for work?" Lance asked again. Keith smiled.

"I'd love to."

 

* * *

 

"Sorry about the mess. Hunk and I usually clean on the weekends, but we were extra busy this week," Lance said as he lead Keith into his dorm. He quickly gathered up some dirty clothes and tossed them in their hamper. Besides the stray clothes the only thing messy was Lance's bed. Keith raised a brow at him.

"You call this a mess?" He asked closing the door behind him.

"I mean…it's usually cleaner," Lance mumbled, obviously embarrassed.

"Dude, if it wasn't for my roommate, I'd be living in a pigsty," Keith said.

"But…you clean up when people come over, right?" Lance questioned. Keith was silent.

"Keith…no."

"That's a thing people do?" He whispered incredulously.

"Keith, you're killing me," Lance sighed.

"What? I didn't know that was a thing!" Keith defended.

"Didn't your mom ever make you clean the house because company was coming over?"

"Yeah, my _mom_. I thought that was a mom thing."

"A _mom_ thing?" Lance held his hand over his chest in offense.

"Is it not?"

"Obviously not!" Lance said throwing his hands on his hips. Keith laughed a little and stepped closer.

"I'm sorry, am I hurting your feelings?" He asked. His tone wasn't patronizing or mocking, but Lance still turned away from Keith and crossed his arms.

" _Yes,_  you are," he replied stubbornly.

"C'mon, baby, don't be that way," Keith cooed and slipped his arms around Lance's waist.

"B-b-baby?" Lance stuttered. He tensed up as Keith pressed kisses against his nape.

"Mm-hmm?" Keith hummed in response. Lance gripped the arms around him.

"C-c'mon, Keith we were just…doing this," Lance murmured as Keith pressed more intoxicating kisses to his neck.

"Are you saying you're not always in the mood for kisses?" Keith questioned and nuzzled against Lance's nape. He giggled in response.

"St-top that tickles!" Lance cried.

"You're ticklish?" Keith asked. The tan young man blushed and looked over his shoulder to give Keith a warning glare.

"…no," he lied.

"I think you are," Keith said with a grin. Lance gripped his wrists.

"Don't-" before he could even think about finishing his sentence Keith's fingers started to move. Lance nearly screamed, and ended up laughing so hard he fell over into his bed. "Fuck fuck _fuck!_ Keith oh-ho-ho my god! Stop!" Lance giggled.

     With Keith's arms around Lance's waist, they fell on to the bed together. From there somehow Keith managed to get between Lance's legs again and absolutely destroy his midsection with tickles. Piercing laughter rang in the air, and they got tangled up in the sheets. It was innocent and fun and Keith loved every moment of Lance's laughter. Eventually Lance managed to push his hands out of the way long enough for him to escape his reach. He caught his breath at the edge of the bed with an outstretched arm to keep Keith back.

"That was…uncalled for…and _brutal!_ " Lance said between heavy breaths. Keith giggled and gave him an innocent smile.

"It wasn't _that_ bad, was it?" Keith asked as he started to crawl closer. Lance raised his brows and attempted to distance himself further.

"No no. No! You lost the privilege to be close to me- _Keith_ , I'm warning you!" Lance stammered as his lame attempts to keep Keith away failed. Keith laughed and didn't even flinch when Lance's hand came in contact with his chest. It bent weakly without much force or strength behind it while Keith came closer.

"I promise I won't tickle you again," Keith assured him. Lance swallowed hard and let Keith come between his legs again.

"Y-you sure?" He stuttered. Keith nodded and reached out to touch Lance.

"Positive," he murmured as he looked to Lance's lips and cupped his cheek.

     Lance didn't need anything else. The way Keith spoke and looked at him was evidence enough that he didn't plan to torture Lance again. Instead that familiar heaviness was back again, and all Lance wanted to do was kiss Keith until his lips were numb. The heaviness was always there, but it was more subtle earlier when Keith was tickling Lance. It was easy to blend into a normal feeling, but when it was like this it was comparable to a drug. 

     Keith's hand drifted from Lance's cheek to his neck to his chest and eventually his hip. The sensation of such lithe fingers touching his body over his clothes sent chills down Lance's back. He then used that chill to move himself forward until their lips were barely touching. His own hands were supporting him and gripping the sheets underneath them. It was warm in the small space between them, but it was a type of warmth Lance had never experienced before. Keith hadn't felt it before either, but he had felt a cheap knock off brand type instead. That was nothing like this. _This_ was the real deal. Every wavering breath they shared was _real_ , and the way Lance finally lifted a hand to touch Keith too was _electrifying._  Keith wanted to just melt right then and there as warm fingers came into contact with his arm. Neither of them could think. They could only do.

     When their lips finally came into contact again they both gave a sigh of relief. It was almost like their breath was taken away by the moment, and they needed each other to properly breath. Lance immediately tilted his head to the side to give Keith a better angle to kiss him. Much like after class, this kiss wasn't heated nor calm. It was a kiss Lance could never imagine in his wildest dreams. Keith's hand was almost burning on his hip, and his entire body felt like jelly. It was an amazing feeling even when the kiss ended and Lance was looking at Keith's lidded navy eyes.

"That was-"

"Amazing?" Lance supplied. Keith nodded.

"You're amazing," Keith sighed. Lance shook his head.

"You're…unfathomable," Lance replied. Keith smiled a little.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" He asked. Lance smiled back.

"A little bit of both," he answered. Keith chuckled before leaning in and capturing Lance's lips again.

"Hey, Lance. I'm home. Did you-"

     Lance and Keith looked at the doorway and froze when they made eye contact with Hunk. Wide eyes looked between Keith and Lance and eventually settled on Lance. It appeared he was trying not to look guilty.

"Hey…Hunk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey if you wanna hmu online here's my stuff
> 
> Snapchat: ksenialynns  
> Tumblr: fryingpanss.tumblr.com  
> Twitter: @n0t_an_artist  
> Instagram(if you care???): @fryingpanss2.0


	10. Putting the pieces together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk and Lance have a chat and Pidge finally makes the connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished writing chapter 12 and it's extremely cute

     Keith was bright red staring up at Hunk with wide eyes. He could only register that Lance and his roommate were talking, but he couldn't tell what they were saying. Mostly because he was overloaded with embarrassment, but also because every cell in his body was screaming for him to leave. He abruptly pulled away from Lance and got off the bed.

"I have to go," he announced avoiding both Lance's and Hunk's gaze. Lance because Keith knew he would be disappointed, and Hunk because of the embarrassment.

"Text me later," Lance urged grabbing his hand. "I'll respond this time," he promised. Keith nodded, squeezing his hand, and stepped closer to the door. Hunk held it wide for him.

"See ya, buddy," Hunk said patting his shoulder. Keith nodded again and left the dorm. Once Hunk closed the door he made vicious eye contact with Lance.

"I thought you were gonna breakup with him," Hunk said crossing his arms.

"I totally was!" Lance replied.

"What stopped you this time? He was sad again?" Hunk asked. Lance frowned and bit his lip.

"Not exactly," he sighed.

"Then what happened?"

"He…he wasn't cheating on me. It was an old…really _old_ and abusive ex boyfriend," Lance told him. Hunk's brows furrowed with concern.

"Seriously?" Lance nodded.

"Keith told me about him, and he was so torn up. I could tell it was hard for him to tell me," Lance continued and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Is that the only reason?" Hunk asked in a gentle voice. 

     Lance sighed. His roommate was always good at reading his emotions and knowing things about Lance before even he did. He was also understanding and gentle, and Lance appreciated that. So he shook his head truthfully.

"No. That wasn't the only reason," Lance responded.

"Okay. What else?" Hunk pressed further. Lance looked up at Hunk.

"I really like him," he confessed. Hunk nodded.

"I know, Lance."

"But…I've liked him for a long time-"

"I know," Hunk interrupted. Lance groaned and flopped back against his bed.

"-and I just felt so guilty about it and then he was telling me what happened and…I just knew. I like Keith. I wanna make him happy and protect him and make sure he's safe," he said.

"You always have," Hunk reminded him. Lance groaned again but longer.

"Why did it take me this long to figure it out?"

"Because you're an idiot?" Hunk supplied.

"Yes I'm an idiot, but even an idiot should've figured this out earlier. I dunno…there was something about today that I didn't feel before," Lance mused.

"Maybe seeing that dude kiss Keith made you realize how much you actually like him," Hunk said. Lance frowned at the bottom of the top bunk, and then sat up.

"You think so?" He asked. Hunk shrugged.

"Who knows? You're no good at interpreting your own emotions so my guess is as good as anyone else's," he replied. Lance rolled his eyes and flopped back down. Hunk sighed and sat down next to Lance.

"Did you have fun spending time with Keith?"

"Yeah…I mean I usually do, but today…" Lance trailed off and smiled. "Today was pretty good."

"Yeah? What did you guys do?"

"Well I was being an ass about thinking Keith was cheating on me, so I avoided him for the entire class-"

"Classic Lance," Hunk nodded. Lance lightly hit his shoulder.

"Don't interrupt me."

"Sorry."

"Anyways, after class we talked it out and then we went to get ice cream. He told me his situation with Zak, and we just hung out and ate ice cream together," Lance reported.

"That it?" Hunk inquired.

"I mean…after that we made out for a couple hours, and then we came here," Lance mumbled.

"What was that?" Hunk asked with a grin that made Lance's blush deepen.

"…we made out in his car for t-two hours," he repeated begrudgingly.

"Two hours?"

"More like two and a half," Lance grumbled and turned his face away.

"Two and a half?"

"Something like that! I dunno! I wasn't keeping track of time!" Lance snapped.

"I mean, it's pretty hard to keep track of time with your tongue down someone's throat," Hunk said.

"Shut up," Lance groaned.

"What's this?" Hunk asked pulling at Lance's collar.

"Nope!" Lance pulled his shirt over his neck and curled into a ball facing away from his roommate.

"Is that a hickey?" Hunk asked grinning wider.

"No it's not! I just got punched in the throat," Lance denied.

"Not that I'm doubting someone would punch you in the throat, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't look like _that_."

"Huuuuuunk," Lance whined.

"Although knowing you Keith is probably covered in them," Hunk sighed. He got up and walked over to sit in their singular chair. Lance sat back up and thought back to his and Keith's time in the car. A smile instantly crept back on his face.

"Actually, I was pretty tame this time," he said proudly. Hunk raised a brow. He picked up the ukulele they kept next to their singular chair.

"Really?" He questioned as he started to tune the instrument. Lance grinned.

"Really."

 

* * *

 

 

"Really?"

     Pidge was sat on her top bunk, but she could clearly see the spots loitering Keith's pale neck when he stepped inside. Her roommate blinked up at her and then pulled his phone out to inspect the damage. A loud blush invaded his face as he ran his fingers over the still sensitive spots. Keith looked up at Pidge with wide eyes and tried to find words to speak, but instead all he could do was open and close his mouth like a fish.

"Lemme guess…you were hanging out with Jerry," she deadpanned. Keith closed his mouth for good, and then nodded. "Looks like you two had a good time."

"It's wasn't…w-we didn't…I-"

"Dude, it's chill. I don't think you and Jerry had sex," Pidge assured him. Keith sighed.

"Okay…"

"But I do think that you're gonna need some help covering that up tonight at work," Pidge added. Keith nodded.

"Yeah…I don't think Shiro would be too happy with me serving dinner like this," he agreed and rubbed one of the spots. Pidge set down her book and crawled down the ladder.

"I think I still have that green turtleneck sweater my dad gave me last year.

"I still have to wear my the Red Robin's shirt though," Keith reminded her. She padded over to their dresser and opened it.

"You can wear it under the shirt," she said simply.

"But then people will think I'm wearing Christmas colors."

"So?"

"So thanksgiving is next week."

"They can get over it. It's only until those fade," Pidge assured him.

"Okay…" Keith gave in.

"Ah-ha!" Pidge pulled out her old sweater and turned to face Keith. "Here it is. Just how I left it," she said handing the sweater to Keith. He smiled and accepted it.

"Thanks, Pidge," he said.

"No problem. How long have you been wearing your binder?" She asked.

"Oh uh…I think since eleven," he replied.

"You should probably take it off soon," she hummed and put her finger to her mouth in thought.

"Oh, right…I probably can't wear it again until after my shift," he said and instantly peeled off his shirt. He stepped around Pidge and rummaged through their dresser to pull out one of his few sports bras.

     Pidge was the only person Keith was comfortable undressing around. Even around Shiro he was nervous and anxious to the point where he was shaking. When Lance started pulling up his shirt there was a violent mix of emotions he had never experienced before. Half of it was that initial fear he had developed from literally years of his clothes being savagely ripped from his body. The memory of clammy hands grasping at his skin underneath while Zak had his way with him. There was that as well as the warm pool of heat in his stomach. It burned between his thighs, but it was a good burning. Keith only realized after he tugged his shirt down that that feeling was pure arousal. After that realization came frustration that his trauma overpowered his emotions once again.

     Keith wiggled out of his binder and slipped on the sports bra. He ran his fingers over the red indents the previous garment left and then reached for the sweater he had set on the dresser. Thankfully it was rather thick, and his sports bra was tight enough that he appeared flat after he dressed himself. With that taken care of he dug around for his work shirt and struggled a little to get it over the grabby fabric of Pidge's sweater. Once he managed to get it all the way down he took a couple deep breaths and fiddled with the collar for a while. He faced Pidge.

"Good?" He asked. She giggled.

"You look…festive," she said. He rolled his eyes and checked the time.

"Whatever. I gotta go in like ten minutes. Do you want anything from the kitchen this time?" He inquired.

"I'm almost better, but another bowl of soup wouldn't hurt," she replied. He nodded.

"I'll keep my eye out for it. Clam chowder?"

"That or some fries," she confirmed.

"Right…" Keith trailed off as his phone buzzed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and smiled at Lance's name across his screen.

"…who's that?" Pidge asked.

"It's just Jerry," Keith said and opened the text. He smiled and bit his lip.

 

Lance: i had a lot of fun 2nite

 

"Really?  _The_ Jerry?" She pressed further. Keith nodded and typed his response.

 

Keith: me too. We should do it again sometime

 

"Not some other Jerry?" She continued. Keith raised a brow at her.

"No…there's only one Jerry," he replied. His phone buzzed again.

 

Lance: the ice cream or the making out?

 

Keith chuckled.

 

Keith: guess ;0

 

"Okay. I was just wondering because the name doesn't look like it spells Jerry," Pidge said. Keith looked at her and blinked.

"Huh?"

"The name. It looks like it spells Lance," she reiterated. Keith blushed and then laughed nervously.

"I…guess the secret is out?" He said.

"Oh…"

"Do you know someone named Lance?" He asked. Pidge nodded.

"Yeah, he was the friend I was supposed to meet at Red Robin's this past weekend," she reported. He blinked again.

"You're friends with Lance?" He questioned.

"Lance McClain?"

"Yes…?"

"Yeah, I've known him and Hunk since elementary school. I'm a few years younger, and you know I skipped a grade," she replied. Keith gaped at her.

"Holy shit, really?"

"Yup. Lance had a Mohawk in like eighth grade," she told him. Keith laughed and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Holy… _fuck_ ," he exclaimed in disbelief.

"He's a good guy. I think you guys are good with each other," Pidge told him and adjusted her glasses.

"Th-thanks," Keith stuttered. His phone buzzed again.

 

Lance: making out?

 

Lance: i hope its making out

 

Lance: pls be making out

 

"Oh, I need to go," Keith said as he spotted the time.

"Okay, have fun," Pidge replied. He quickly typed out his response to Lance while he headed to the door.

"Will do," he hummed and grabbed his bag and keys.

 

Keith: I'm off to work. I'll text you later

 

Keith: but you're right

 

__

* * *

 

"Y'know you're gonna have to tell him, right?" Hunk spoke. 

"Huh?" Lance had been distracted texting Keith again and listening to Hunk play his ukulele.

"Keith."

"What about him?"

"You're gonna have to tell him you didn't realize you were dating for like two months," Hunk informed him. Lance stilled his thumbs and looked over at Hunk.

"…what do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, it wouldn't be fair to Keith if you just kept this to yourself," Hunk responded. Lance sat up and frowned.

"No way…do you have any idea what that would do to him? He'd be _crushed_ ," Lance protested.

"Granted, but if it's the real deal then you two would work through it," Hunk pointed out. Lance shook his head.

"No, I'm not gonna put Keith through that pain because of my own stupidity. I like him now, so it's fine. He's happy, and I am too," Lance argued.

"Lance-"

"Hunk, I _can't_ hurt him. I just can't, okay? He…he's-"

"Fragile?" Hunk questioned with a raised brow. Lance growled in frustration, his shoulders raised with stress and he shook his head.

"No, except…yes! He was in an abusive relationship! I don't wanna trigger him or make him upset."

"Lance, he was abused. That doesn't mean he's some shell of a man that'll break if you conscience him at all," Hunk told him. Lance sighed.

"I dunno…I just…I hate seeing him so upset, and all I can imagine is how _sad_  and _angry_ he's gonna look," Lance said. Hunk frowned.

"Lance…it'll be okay. I don't know how he'll react because I don't know him very well, but from what I can tell he'll at least be grateful that you're being honest," Hunk assured him. Lance bit his lip. "There is one thing I do know. The longer you keep it to yourself, the more upset he'll be when you eventually tell him."

"God…I'm so dumb," Lance groaned. Hunk opened his mouth to speak when their door was kicked open with a bang. Pidge stood in their doorway and turned her head to look at Lance.

"Dude! That was _locked_!" Hunk shouted in exasperation. Pidge ignored him as she stepped in front of Lance and put her hands on her hips.

"You're dating Keith Kogane," she stated. Lance blinked at her and looked to Hunk who had set down his ukulele to inspect their lock. He looked back to Pidge.

"Uh…y-yes?" He stuttered.

"You can't breakup with him," she announced.

"I wasn't going to anymore…do you know him?" Lance asked. She nodded and pushed up her glasses.

"He's my roommate," she informed them.

"Holy shit, your _roommate_ ," Hunk said.

"Yes. My roommate. Lance McClain I swear if you break that boy's heart I will punish you myself," she threatened.

"Um! Okay! I wasn't really planning on it, but okay!" Lance responded nervously.

"Good," she nodded.

"You came just in time. Lance finally admitted to himself that he liked Keith," Hunk told her.

"You need to tell him," Pidge responded immediately.

"What? You told me _not_  to hurt him!" Lance protested.

"I know, but not telling him is worse," she reasoned.

"I-I can't do it, guys! I'm just…I know I messed up, but at least I like him _now_ ," he argued.

"Lance, you have no idea how fucking smitten Keith has been with you this whole time. I honestly feel bad for trying to help you break up with him, and I'm actually pretty mad right now. You need to tell him," she explained.

"Wait…how smitten?" Lance asked. Hunk groaned and Pidge shook her head. "What? I wanna know."

"He's really into you, Lance. Fucking tell him the truth," Pidge spoke close to a growl. Lance leaned away from her and frowned.

"…okay," he replied. She nodded.

"Good. Now I'm gonna go back to my dorm and finish my homework."


	11. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh look another point of view

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: misgendering and a mild panic attack

     Zak lit up a cigarette in his apartment. He let it burn for a moment before taking his first inhale of smoke. The ashes fell in his ash tray on his little side table as he relaxed into his nice couch. Despite his beat up car and rugged appearance he actually had a rather nice apartment. That was mostly due to the income he raked in from his drug deals.

     Over the past ten years he had built up his name and status in the drug business and was a top name drug supplier in his neighborhood. He sold stuff to everyone from teens to old addicts who still couldn't kick the can. His team, as he liked to call them, had it all. Prescription drugs, hallucinogens, party drugs, and even professionally home grown weed. That was the beauty of being on top. He didn't have to do the dirty work like he did at the beginning of his career. Instead he had a team he could depend on to get the stuff. Instead he was now the middle man. The negotiator. The one who handled the money.

     There was a bang on his door before his closest friend walked inside. Sendak smoothed over his painstakingly gelled hair as he stood in front of Zak. While he was Zak's closest "friend", they weren't exactly buddy buddy. No one was really friends with Zak. Not since he was twenty four.

"How's it going, boss?" He greeted. Zak gestured his head to the matching chair next o his couch. Sendak took a seat. "We got all the quintessence wrapped up and ready to ship," he reported.

"And the boxes?" Zak asked.

"Wrapped just like presents. They look like they're gonna be dropped off at some charity," he replied. Zak nodded and took another drag of his cigarette.

"Monty should have delivered the money by now…don't ship it until I get my package," he instructed. Sendak nodded.

"Uh…Haxus and some of the others were wondering where you went this weekend," he spoke. Zak gave him a chilling glare.

"Why?" He asked. Sendak shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Well…usually you tell us where you're going and stuff…and it's usually a business deal," he explained. "And…you seemed really angry when you got back," he added quietly. Zak gave a cynical laugh before shaking his head. He stood up and walked over to his liquor cabinet. He placed a glass in front of him and opened a bottle of whiskey.

"Do you know why I drive the same beat up car I drove in high school?" Zak asked. Sendak was silent, surprised by his question.

"Uh…b-because you don't drive around a ton?" He guessed. Zak poured himself a drink and capped the bottle.

"Not exactly," he hummed and took a drink. He turned around and leaned on his cabinet. "I drive a shitty car and I wear a shitty jacket because if I drove a sports car with a fancy suit people would ask me where I got my money," he answered.

"Is that a bad thing, sir?" Sendak asked. Zak nodded and took another sip.

"Yes. Rule number one of being a drug dealer: don't let people know you're a drug dealer," he said.

"Oh…"

"So, you ask me where I went this weekend. Is this solely on Haxus' request?"

"Well…no. We're all rather curious."

"Curiosity was never kind to cats, was it?" Zak hummed and finished his glass.

"No, sir…" Sendak replied quietly. He set down the glass and stepped away from the cabinet.

"This weekend I paid a visit to an old friend," he announced. Sendak's eyes widened.

"You mean…"

"Yeah," Zak nodded.

"Did she…I mean, is she-"

"No," Zak replied and turned to look out the window. "Kaci is being…rather difficult."

"Oh…that's too bad."

"Go ahead and tell the rest, but I doubt it'll do much for them," Zak mumbled and huffed out more smoke.

"Okay, but you're not done with her. Are you?" Sendak asked. 

     Zak's eyes looked out over the city. His cigarette hung from his lips as he crossed his arms. Ashes fell to the floor, but he didn't care for the carpet. It was already stained from drunken nights. Spilled whiskey and meaningless women that only made him feel more empty. He smirked as he remembered the feeling of smooth porcelain skin and that hitched breath he fell in love with. The shyness and the inexperience that Zak adored about Kaci. Touching her again was like a bolt of lightning in his sick demented body. The body she ruined. He took his cigarette from his lips and slowly let the smoke pour from his nose.

"Not even close."

 

* * *

 

     The restaurant was calm. That was a rare sight for Red Robin's, but Keith enjoyed every second of peace he could cherish. A smile spread across his cheeks as he washed up a table. He wasn't exactly happy to clean a dirty table, but he was happy thinking about what was to come after his shift. His sweater had started to roll down his arm and he quickly readjusted the fabric before turning to clean his next table. Unfortunately when he turned around he found himself with his face in Shiro's chest. He looked up and blinked at his older friend and sheepishly stepped back.

"Sorry," he said and moved on to the next table.

"It's okay. Are you starting a new fashion trend or something?" Shiro asked. Keith furrowed his brows as he started to clean another table.

"What do you mean?"

"The turtleneck. You've been wearing one to work consistently and you've even got a couple of different colors," he noticed. Keith blushed a little and laughed nervously.

"That? Oh it's nothing, I just get chilly at work," he lied.

"You're sweating," Shiro informed him.

"Th-then I guess it's doing its job!" Keith squeaked. Shiro lifted a brow and discreetly moved the fabric away from Keith's neck. The younger man scrambled to get away from Shiro's finger, but it was too late. He was already grinning like a maniac.

"Are those _hickeys?_ " he questioned enthusiastically. Keith blushed redder than his uniform.

"N-no!" He denied.

"Did  _Lance_  leave those?" He pressed stepping closer. Keith bumped into an empty booth and crawled back into the seat.

"N-no, it was…uh…th-there was this dog! A-and it totally attacked my neck!" Keith lied.

"You can't lie to me, Keith. I know you too well," Shiro said crossing his arms with a smile.

"I-I mean…Ugh," Keith groaned and let his hand fall into his hand. "…yes."

"Let me see more," Shiro urged. Keith sighed and pulled the neck of his sweater down. "Oh my god."

"I know…" Keith murmured. His neck was almost completely purple and red. There were even teeth marks around his collar bones, and yellow from the faded ones.

"He really goes for it, doesn't he?" Shiro noted. Keith nodded and adjusted the garment back into place.

"He tried to leave one on my jaw, but I told him not to because of work," he said.

"Is it fun?" Shiro questioned. Keith blushed and shrugged.

"I mean it's new…Zak never liked marking my skin. He said it made me look unclean," he mumbled. Shiro tilted his chin up and rubbed his shoulder.

"Well Zak doesn't control you, so if you like them keep doing it," Shiro said. "But keep covering them up."

"Will do," Keith said nodding.

"Keith!"

     They both turned to see Lance smiling and waving from the front. Keith instantly smiled back, and Shiro noticed. The tan man jogged over to them and Keith stood up to greet him with a hug.

"Hey," Keith sighed as he seemed to nearly melt into Lance's arms.

"Is your shift over yet? I checked the time when I left, but my phone died on the way," Lance said. Keith pulled back and looked up at the time.

"Uh…almost. I got like five more minutes," he replied. Shiro chuckled and laughed.

"Go ahead, Keith. You've worked late many times to make up for it," he allowed.

"Are you sure?" Keith asked. Shiro nodded.

"This place is basically a ghost town. Just clock out and have fun," he instructed.

"Okay," Keith grinned and left taking off his apron. Lance watched him disappear into the kitchen and felt the ridiculous grin across his face.

"You seem to being enjoying yourself," Shiro noticed. Lance looked up at Shiro and let his smile fade a little.

"Huh?"

"I saw your work on Keith's neck. I gotta say I'm impressed," Shiro told him. Lance blushed and laughed anxiously.

"Y-you saw that?" He stuttered. Shiro nodded.

"You're remembering to be respectful, right? I know it's only hickeys, but Keith-"

"I know. I wouldn't do it if he didn't say yes," Lance assured Shiro. He nodded.

"You're a really good guy, Lance. Honestly…you're just what Keith needs," he told him. Lance nodded and felt his guilt nip at him. It had been a couple days and he still hadn't told Keith.

"That's good because he's what I need too," he replied. Shiro smiled.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Keith announced. Lance's smile returned and his hand instantly wrapped around Keith's.

"I'll see you two later then," Shiro nodded.

"Bye!" Keith waved as he and Lance walked away and out of the restaurant.

"How was your shift?" Lance asked as they walked to Keith's car.

"Pretty good actually. It wasn't really busy at all, so I didn't have to talk to a lot of people," he answered and dug out his keys. Lance chuckled.

"That's unfortunate to all those people you didn't talk to. You're a joy to converse with," Lance murmured and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Keith blushed and giggled before lightly hitting Lance's shoulder.

"What? It's true," he said. Keith shook his head and unlocked his car. Lance pulled at the collar of his sweater and moved some of his hair out of the way to kiss his nape. Keith's body instantly warmed up and he let his eyes close in bliss as he turned the key.

"Lance," he hummed. His boyfriend pulled away, and Keith looked over his shoulder to smile at him. He turned around completely as Lance leaned closer. They kissed slowly and Keith pressed his hand into Lance's chest. His hand dragged down Lance's lean torso, and when they finished the kiss Keith pulled back with a dopey smile.

"You're pretty," Keith murmured. Lance grinned.

"Am I?"

"Yes. Extremely."

"Am I pretty enough for you to let me give you another one?" He asked and pressed kisses down Keith's face. He sighed and looked around. The parking lot was pretty empty in terms of cars and people.

"I'll give you ten minutes in the car," Keith replied.

"That's all I need," Lance grinned pulling back. 

     Keith rolled his eyes and opened the car door for himself. The moment he was in the car with the door shut Lance was instantly in his lap again. He had become accustom to Lance's weight on his thighs, and found comfort in it. It was cold, but being close with Lance always warmed him up. The skinny man on top of Keith started by kissing his lips and nipping the bottom one. His mouth was hot and tasted of cinnamon as usual. Keith suspected Lance either brushed his teeth four times a day or carried mints around with him. Both were possible, but Keith didn't care. Either way Lance tasted good and he was always craving more.

     After what felt like five seconds of kissing and making out Lance made his way to Keith's neck and held the fabric out of his way. The black sweater only allowed Lance access to the middle of Keith's neck, but he could work with that. He latched on to what little unmarked skin was left and pressed wet kisses to it. Keith bit his lip and tilted his head back. His fingers grasped at Lance's sides, and he adored the feeling of those thick yet thin fingers curling into his jacket. Lance introduced his tongue into the mix and grinned when Keith took a couple short deep breaths. The deep breaths did nothing and soon Keith's chest was heaving under Lance.

"Like it?" Lance murmured and ran his teeth over the new red spot. Keith huffed and tilted his head forward to lean against Lance's shoulder.

"Do I really have to say it? You already know," Keith replied. Lance grinned and nipped the skin. Keith's grip tightened.

"I know, but I wanna hear you say it," Lance murmured and pressed his tongue slowly against the spot. Keith clenched his jaw, but that didn't stop the growl that escaped his throat. Lance had to stop and bite his lip. "Fuck," he sighed.

"Is that enough for you?" Keith asked. Lance shook his head.

"Now I just want more," he said and returned his lips against Keith's neck.

"L-Lance," he stuttered and dug his nails painfully into Lance's sides.

"Is this okay?" Lance asked. Keith bit his lip and nodded.

"Keep…keep going," he urged.

"Keith, if you're uncomfortable-"

"Mmm…" Keith made a weak sound as he moved his head into the crook of Lance's neck. "I want to," he whimpered. Lance cradled Keith's head and allowed him to hug him tightly.

"Keith?"

"I wanna…I wanna do everything with you, but…he keeps getting in the way," Keith mumbled. Lance frowned deeply and kissed his temple.

"Shit, Keith…does this happen every time?" He asked.

"Not every time…but I wish it didn't happen at all," Keith responded. Lance squeezed him tightly.

"It's okay," he cooed.

"I know you're nothing like him, but…"

"It's okay. You can't help it. I understand," Lance murmured. Keith nuzzled into his neck and squeezed him affectionately.

"I really like you, and I really like what we have. I just…I don't want him to ruin this too…" Keith whispered. Lance felt another stab of guilt.

"Don't worry. He's not gonna do anything to you, and he's not gonna do anything to us," Lance assured him. Keith kissed his neck and nuzzled again.

"It feels nice being close to you," Keith said.

"It feels nice being close to _you_ ," Lance replied and kissed the top of his head.

"I've never been with someone who makes me feel good when I hug them," Keith told him. Lance was silent for a moment.

"Me neither," he responded.

"Come to thanksgiving with me," Keith blurted. Lance chuckled and pulled back.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean come to thanksgiving dinner with me and Shiro. Our families always have it together and I want you to be there," Keith insisted.

"I didn't know you celebrated thanksgiving…" Keith shrugged.

"My mom likes to cook American food sometimes, and thanksgiving is a good excuse to do it," he replied.

"So…you want me to come over to your house and celebrate with your family?" Lance asked to clarify. Keith nodded.

"I always come alone, but now I have someone I want to bring," Keith said simply. Lance grinned.

"I'd love to go to thanksgiving with you and Shiro," he said.

"Wait…what about your family?" Keith asked. "Oh shit, I didn't even think about that."

"Don't worry. My mom hates the idea of it, and my dad just gets a bucket of chicken from KFC and invites anyone who wants free food," Lance assured him. Keith laughed and leaned his forehead against Lance's.

"Okay…good," he hummed.

     They stayed in each other's arms for while until it just got too cold. Lance sat in his own seat and Keith turned on the car. The heater blasted them, and Christmas music instantly erupted from his radio. They both laughed at the sudden carols and drove off back to their dorms.


	12. These idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Absolute fluff and accidental confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance can't do anything right, can he?

     The package still hadn't come in yet. Sendak had spent hours waiting for it before he got a text from Zak telling him to forget about it. A frustrated sigh brushed between his teeth as he turned off his phone and shook his head. Although he respected Zak there were times he questioned his logic. There was a knock at his door and he didn't bother to answer it. Instead he stood up and went to his fridge. As he predicted, the door opened on its own.

"Hey, Sendak," spoke a gruff voice followed by a cough.

"What did I tell you about speaking when you smoke?" Sendak muttered as he pulled a beer from the fridge.

"Sorry," Haxus coughed once more.

"What do you want?" Sendak asked in a bored manner. He picked up his bottle opener and opened his beer.

"Did you find out what Zak was up to this weekend?" He questioned. Sendak paused before taking a sip.

"You're not gonna like it."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because it was about Kaci," he reported. Haxus was quiet.

"…oh."

"Yeah."

"Did he…god, don't tell me he asked her to come back," he groaned. Sendak rolled his eyes and walked back to his chair.

"Of course he did."

"She was such a brat," Haxus complained.

"Yeah…but I kinda miss her," Sendak admitted. "She was always fun to tease."

"Yeah, I miss her too, but I always found it creepy that Zak is like ten years older than her," Haxus said and helped himself to Sendak's booze.

"Eight," Sendak corrected.

"Like that makes it any better. She was young."

"Close to Thace's age," he nodded.

"He doesn't know about her, does he?"

"No. He joined last year, and Kaci left…jeez…three years ago?"

"Three years already?" Haxus asked and opened his own beer.

"It really has been a long time."

"Who knows, maybe she's matured," Haxus grinned and wiggled his brows. Sendak shook his head.

"You know how Zak is about her. You're not getting anywhere near that girl," he reminded him. Haxus shrugged.

"I'm fine with looking," he replied. Sendak rolled his eyes when he received another message from Zak. He sighed. "What's it say?"

"He said he got a digital transaction instead of a package. We gotta send the stuff," Sendak told him.

"On it," Haxus nodded and quickly finished the rest of his drink. Sendak stood up and set his own down to return to later.

"Alright, let's go."

 

* * *

 

     Lance was bored. Keith was still on his shift, Hunk was at class, and Pidge was doing homework as always. Sure he could've done his own homework, but he didn't feel like it therefore he didn't do it. In lieu he stared up at the top bunk and made various noises with his tongue. Tomorrow was thanksgiving and he was going to spend it with Keith and Shiro's family. He was excited, but also very very nervous.

     As expected Lance still hadn't fessed up to Keith about the situation with his feelings. To Keith, Lance has liked him the whole time and he was only just now expressing affection. Which he did quite often. It made Lance feel guilty, and the longer he kept it in the worse he felt. There were times where he had almost come clean, but chickened out last minute. He got the evil eye from both Hunk and Pidge whenever he hung out with Keith in either of their dorms, and while it was a good push it didn't push him enough. For the time being he was ignoring it, and that was dangerous. The last time Lance ignored something important like that he ended up getting kicked out of his partners house. He didn't want Keith to kick him out of his life.

     His heart ached for Keith. Never had Lance felt so happy to call someone his boyfriend, and never had Lance actually meant it when he said he liked Keith. There was something special about him. Something that forced Lance to adore everything about him. The way he talked and laughed and leaned his head on Lance's shoulder made everything stop so he was the only focus. His eyes lit up whenever he spotted Lance, and he smiled so easily despite how dumb Lance was being. The thing about it was that Lance was the same way with him. Anything Keith did made Lance smile and love him even more.

     Wait. Does that say…love? Is Lance in love with Keith? The tan young man sat up quick, too quick, and bonked his head on the top bunk. He cursed and then ran his hand through his hair stressfully. Lance has never been _in love_ before. His brain went into over drive trying to think why the hell he would think he's in love. It was rather obvious, to his dismay. Keith practically had him wrapped around his cute little finger, and for some reason Lance only wanted to tighten the knot. His emotional dependency on Keith was safe and comfortable. It was nice talking to Keith and being happy around him. In fact it made his over all mood better. Keith made him better.

"Shit," Lance muttered to himself and got off his bed. He quickly pulled up a pair of pants and checked his phone charging on the wall.

 

Hunk: class is over omw

 

"Shit!" He cursed louder. He couldn't have a mental breakdown now! Hunk was on his way and then he'd have to fess up to being in love with Keith. His phone buzzed again.

 

Keith: my shift is over. Mind if I come by?

 

"Jesus Christ," Lance whined. He couldn't be around Keith. He's in love with him! What if he blurts that out in front of him? What if Keith didn't feel the same. His phone buzzed with Keith's name across the screen.

"Fuck fuck fuck," he hissed before accepting the call. "Hello?" His voice cracked.

"Hey…are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Lance said. He had lost control of his vocal chords. Keith laughed on the other end and Lance felt himself warm up in response.

"That's good. I just sent a text, but I decided I wanted to hear your voice," Keith told him. Lance's heart melted and he smiled. Hearing that made him forget about his precious anxieties.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah…" Lance could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well I'm glad you called."

"How come?"

"Because I wanted to hear your voice too," he said smoothly before leaning against the wall. Keith was silent for a moment.

"God, shut up," he mumbled. Lance chuckled.

"But I thought you wanted to hear my voice."

"I do, but…ugh," Keith groaned in defeat. "I miss you."

"Then come over," Lance responded. Wait, wasn't he just freaking out because he wanted to avoid Keith?

"I am," Keith replied.

"Are you driving?" Lance asked.

"Almost. I'm just getting in my car," Keith told him.

"Good. Hang up and come to me soon," Lance instructed. Keith chuckled and Lance bit his lip.

"Well aren't you bossy. As you wish your highness," Keith teased. Lance rolled his eyes.

"Just get over here."

"Okay. I'll see you soon," Keith said with the sound of his car door closing.

"Bye," Lance hummed.

"I love you," Keith said.

"Love you too," Lance replied without thinking and hung up.

     He slumped against the wall with a happy smile across his face. It took about five seconds for him to realize what they had just said to each other and his smile disappeared.

" _Shit!_ " he cursed.

"What did you do this time?" Hunk asked. Lance looked over at his roommate in their open doorway.

"…uh-"

"Did you finally tell Keith that you lied to him for half a term and consequently actually started to like him but before tried to get him to break up with you?" Hunk interrupted. Lance laughed nervously.

"No," he answered flatly. Hunk sighed.

"Don't tell me you did something stupid like confess your love for him," he groaned. Lance was silent and still. Hunk blinked at him. "You're a fucking idiot."

"It wasn't my fault! He said it first, a-and I wasn't thinking!" Lance defended.

"So you lied to him again?" Hunk asked closing the door. Lance blushed deeply and looked away.

"I mean…not really," he murmured.

"You really think you're in love with Keith?" Hunk asked raising a brow. Lance then glared at him.

"What? Do you think I'm not?"

"I think you've got a lot of emotions going on, and that it's hard to distinguish between them all."

"You do, don't you?"

"Never said that," Hunk replied and set down his bag.

"You think I'm just confused and whatever," Lance grumbled.

"Didn't say-"

"It doesn't matter what you did or didn't say, Hunk!" Lance snapped. His roommate stopped and stared at Lance. He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Look, I know I haven't been completely honest with Keith, but…Hunk you have no idea how I feel. It's like…this is unlike anything I've ever felt before," Lance said. Hunk blinked with a pensive expression.

"Lance-"

"I don't know either, okay? I'll admit that. You know I've never been in love, so who knows? All I know is that Keith is important to me, and…a-and I don't wanna risk fucking this up and-"

"Lance," Hunk repeated. His voice deep and present. Lance looked up at Hunk.

"I'm fucking it up, aren't I?" He mumbled. Hunk frowned and put his hand over Lance's shoulder.

"Do what feels right, Lance. I know Pidge and I are telling you what to do, but…honestly if you feel like it's not the right time then don't. Just know that you're new at this, and it might take some fucking up to get it right," Hunk told him. Lance nodded.

"Usually when I fuck it up that's it…I hope Keith gives me some wiggle room, y'know?"

"Yeah," Hunk nodded and smiled. Then there was a knock on the door and Lance nearly jumped to open it. He opened it to find a red-faced Keith fidgeting like he always did when he was nervous.

"Hey," he greeted in a quiet voice. Lance grinned and immediately wrapped him up in a hug. Keith groaned.

"T-too tight," he wheezed.

"Sorry," Lance said sheepishly as he gently let Keith go. He pulled back with the same grin and took in Keith's embarrassed eyes darting to the side.

"It's okay…um…e-earlier on the phone…sorry about…that," he stammered. Lance shook his head.

"It's fine," he assured him. Keith looked up at him.

"So…you meant it too?" He asked hopefully. Lance was almost dumbfounded by the shift in Keith's tone. He didn't shy away any more, and looked at Lance with wide eyes waiting for his response.

"I mean…I've never just told that to someone I was dating before, and it slipped out so easily with you," Lance said. Keith frowned, confused.

"Slipped out?" He asked tilting his head. Lance blushed.

"I-I mean I wasn't thinking! Which…okay that sounds bad-"

"I wasn't really thinking either," Keith told him.

"Yeah, but when I say it slipped out I mean…I-I guess I mean I didn't mean to say it yet-"

"Yet?"

"Eventually! I wanted to tell you eventually, but like…" Lance let out an self deprecating laugh. "I kinda just figured it out."

"Just now?" Keith questioned with a smile. Lance got redder, and Keith backed him up.

"Well-" he paused when he felt a wall behind him. Wait, no it was his door. Did Hunk close the door? "…uh…" he was distracted by the door, and looked back at it.

"Focus, Lance. Back to me," Keith cooed and settled his hands on Lance's hips. Lance immediately looked down to where pale skin met his dark shirt. He then looked to Keith's eyes only for them to disappear with the feeling of lips against his neck. "You _just_ found out you're in love with me?" Keith murmured.

"I…" Lance trailed off at the feeling of his intoxicatingly warm kisses. "…can't think with you doing that."

"Is that a bad thing?" Keith asked coyly and slipped his thumbs under lance's shirt.

"K-Keith," he stuttered.

"Focus," Keith whispered. Lance let his eyes roll back as Keith softly sucked on his neck. He reached around and pathetically pawed at Keith's back.

"Yeah…just now…" he breathed. Keith grinned and Lance could feel it.

"I'll be honest. I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said," Keith murmured. Lance bit his lip at the feeling of Keith's warm breath against his skin.

"Good…" he hummed and a warm smile spread across his face again.

     Lance rearranged his arms around Keith's neck and played with the ends of his hair. Keith chuckled and his hands moved a little further up as he leaned back to look up at Lance. He accidentally lifted up a sliver of Lance's shirt, but he wasn't focused on that. Instead he was focused on the dopey expression in front of him and the fingers in his hair. Their foreheads met and Keith rubbed his nose against Lance's. The tan man giggled and blushed.

"Dude, that was pretty gay," he said.

"Good. That's what I was going for," Keith replied and did it again before readjusting his hands over the small of Lance's back.

"Dude!" Lance laughed turning his head away. Keith instead nuzzled into his neck and pressed some more kisses. Lance instantly melted against the door. "Not fair," he huffed and ran his fingers through Keith's hair again. Keith broke off with a smile.

"I barely even kissed you," he pointed out. Lance kept his head turned away. "Are you saying that one little kiss on your neck gives me the upper hand?"

"No!" Lance lied turning bright red and pouting at Keith. 

     Keith laughed and kissed him, pulling him slightly closer by his waist. Lance oddly liked the feeling more than he thought he would. He let his lips fit perfectly with Keith's and savored the warmth that spread through his chest. His head tilted so easily to move with Keith, and the hand in his hair tightened ever so slightly when Keith pressed closer. Lance swore he could feel Keith's heart beating, but that very well could have been his own beating twice as fast. At this point they were chest to chest with their mouths working steadily and sweetly against each other. 

     Kissing Keith was unlike kissing any other man Lance has kissed. Keith was sweet and gentle instead of demanding and full of hormones. It very well could've been because the last time Lance kissed a man was when he was nineteen and still riding out some puberty. It was pushy and desperate while this was slow and mind numbing. While it was stimulating he could tell arousal wasn't Keith's intent. They've turned each other on in the past, but if Lance was being honest it was never his intent. He just enjoyed kissing Keith so much that he got so carried away with it. Especially when Keith sighed with approval against Lance's lips whenever he tightened and loosened his grip on his hair. It was addicting and only a man with a true iron will would resist pressing his tongue against those irresistible lips.

"Jeez, get a room. The door is right there," someone grumbled. Keith looked over his shoulder at the passerbyer, ripping his lips from Lance and leaving a spit string from his mouth. Lance was breathing heavy, heavier than he thought he would be, and looking at Keith with heavy eyes.

"Forget it," Lance urged and started to kiss at his neck when Keith didn't turn his face back.

"Maybe we should go inside," Keith suggested.

"No, Hunk is inside," Lance murmured and kissed more of his throat. He grazed his mouth over Keith's slight Adam's apple and appreciated the scruff of his five o'clock shadow.

"So?"

"So I can't make out with you in front of him," Lance replied and then ventured over his jaw. Keith bit his lip and turned his head back to Lance.

"You really wanna keep going?" Keith asked. Lance pulled back with a raised brow.

"Are you really asking me that question?" He replied. Keith blushed.

"Well-"

"Keith, we literally just confessed our love for each other. We've been dating the whole term. Of course I wanna keep going," Lance told him. A tinge of guilt ran through him at the term comment, but he let it pass. Keith blinked and then smiled.

"Right…we're in love," he nodded. Lance blushed bright red and grinned. He loved the way that sounded.

"Yeah…we are," Lance murmured and leaned in again. Keith giggled and tried to kiss Lance back, but his smile got in the way.

"Love…I never thought I'd get to actually feel it," he murmured. Lance lovingly stroked his hair.

"Me too."


	13. Give thanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family can be awkward

     Sweat was dripping down Lance's neck. He shifted his fingers around the pie box nervously as Keith pulled up to his parents house. It was far off in a more rural area. They spent half an hour swirling around the mountain just to get up there. Keith was almost scared his car wouldn't make it the whole way, but it held up better than he expected. His only fear was that they would be stranded on the way back. Then again, it wouldn't be the end of the world if he was stranded with Lance.

     The car shutting off was pretty much the last seal of Lance's fate. There was no turning back now. Keith's parents were just inside the house in front of him, and there was no chance he could run out in the middle of no where. He tried to take a deep breath, but ended up nearly hyperventilating. The only thing that calmed him was the warm feeling of fingers over his. He looked over at Keith, and the assuring smile that greeted him made him instantly smile in response. He grabbed Keith's hand in response and rubbed his thumb against his soft pale skin.

"You good?" Keith asked. Lance let out a nervous chuckle and shook his head.

"I can't believe I'm going to meet your parents," he said leaning his head back against the headrest.

"Well, they aren't… _super_ overwhelming. My mom can get a little excited, and Shiro's parents are always a little late. They're a few years older than my parents, so they've mellowed out a bit," Keith warned him. Lance nodded.

"They sound nice," he mumbled. Keith nodded back and they sat together for a moment. They savored the peace and quiet, and when Lance held his head up again he lifted Keith's hand to his mouth and kissed his fingers.

"I'm glad I get to spend time with you, though," he murmured and then pressed another kiss to the pale extremity. Keith smiled and blushed before playfully slapping Lance with the hand he held.

"Cheesy bastard," he muttered before opening the car door. Lance quickly unbuckled his seat belt and followed after Keith with the pie.

"C'mon, doesn't that deserve a kiss?" Lance called chasing after Keith. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he approached his parent's porch.

"Nope," Keith replied. Lance jogged over to him before he could walk up the steps and settled his hand on the small of Keith's back. He held the boxed pie over his forearm and hand as he gently hooked his other arm around Keith's waist.

"Lance!" Keith gasped. His foot was almost in contact with the wooden stair in front of him when he was tugged back. He caught himself on the railing and found himself face to face with Lance's smug grin.

"Not even a little one?" He asked and stepped closer. Keith tried not to smile and shook his head.

"Not even a little one," he muttered. He couldn't look away from Lance's magnetic gaze. He raised his brow and then leaned closer.

"Well then I guess _I'll_ have to kiss _you_ ," he whispered against his lips. Keith finally cracked and giggled as Lance feathered kisses over the corner of his mouth and his cheek.

"Lance!" He grinned and put his hands over his boyfriend's chest incase he needed to push him back.

"Just one kiss. That's all I'm asking for," Lance begged and nuzzled against his neck. At this point he was holding Keith in a one armed hug while chastely kissing any skin in front of him.

"Never," Keith giggled defiantly.

"You are cruel," Lance teased and kissed his nose. 

     Keith moved his hands to cup Lance's face to pull him into a proper kiss. There was a smile that interrupted it, but Lance was quick to kiss him back. It was amazing how relaxing Lance's kisses where. It was the gentlest, yet neediest way of kissing Keith had ever experienced. Even before Zak, and especially after. His lips were thin, but they were always warm and supple. They seemed to fit perfectly with Keith's, and any place they landed on his body. Eventually Keith couldn't resist sliding his arms over Lance's shoulder's and playing with the hairs on his nape. A small burst of laughter came from Lance and Keith laughed with him.

"Ah-hem."

     The sound of a familiar voice turned Keith's eye to the man standing a couple feet away. Shiro was holding a dish with a cloth in each hand and tin foil over the top. He was smiling at the two young men in front of him with a raised brow, and Keith turned a little red. He wasn't nearly as embarrassed as he would've been say a month ago. Lance had spotted Shiro too, but he was clearly much more embarrassed than Keith.

"Shiro! Hi!" Lance blurted and ripped his hand from Keith's waist. He shivered at the loss of heat.

"Hello, Lance. Lovely to see you today," Shiro said. Keith couldn't stop smiling at how flustered Lance appeared.

"N-nice to see you too! I was just…uh, we were just thinking of what we're grateful for on this day…thanksgiving," Lance stammered. Shiro laughed and Keith shook his head as he tried to stifle his own.

"Let me guess, each other?" Shiro teased. Lance blinked.

"Maybe."

"We brought a pie," Keith announced taking the box from Lance's arm. Shiro frowned.

"You got a store bought pie?" He questioned.

"Shiro, we're college students," Keith deadpanned. Shiro sighed.

"Fair enough. Now let's go inside before you two start making out again."

     The three of them walked up to the front door together and knocked. Keith's mother was the first to answer and she instantly greeted them with a smile. She hugged Keith first, and then Shiro, and then paused to look Lance up and down before hugging him too. Her hair was black with old streaks of grey and white curled into a rather adorable style. She was shorter than Keith, as expected, and she instantly gushed over how tall Lance and Shiro were. Her nails were decorated in a lovely golden orange polish, and she still had an apron on as she welcomed them inside. The first thing Lance noticed was the smell. It was indescribably delicious, and it warmed him up from his toes to his finger tips. Keith took off his shoes, so Lance followed his example. Soon Keith's mom disappeared into the kitchen again and Keith's dad came out to greet Lance. He was a taller fellow, but still only a couple inches taller than Keith. While he was taller than Lance, Shiro still remained the tallest person in the house.

"So you're the young man Keith has been spoiling this term," Keith's father, Micheal, said with a smile. Lance laughed nervously, and Keith smiled.

"I guess so," he replied.

"I've heard a lot about you. Mostly through Shiro since Keith won't tell me anything himself," Micheal continued. Shiro nodded.

"I've always been your information man," he said before disappearing into the kitchen. Keith rolled his eyes and Micheal lead Lance into the living room.

"Y'know, my son is an absolute sucker for planes," he said swinging his arm over Lance's shoulders. He looked back to see Keith catching up to them with a skeptical look on his face.

"Yeah?"

"I remember when he was little. He would spend his time reading about Amelia Earhart and the Wright brothers, and he would tell me 'daddy, one day I'm gonna be a pilot'," Micheal told Lance. They approached the coach and Micheal guided Lance to sit with him.

"Oh, really?" Lance questioned and glanced up at Keith. He was red faced with his arms crossed.

"Oh yes. He had this little pilot hat, just like Amelia, and he would wear it and run around making plane noises," Micheal said. Lance grinned at Keith.

"I never knew that about you," he said.

"W-well it wasn't important," he stuttered and took a seat next to Lance.

"I think I have a picture-"

"No," Keith interrupted. Micheal looked up at Keith's wide eyes and instantly understood what he meant. Lance chuckled.

"I'm sure it's not that bad, Keith. I bet you looked adorable," he teased. Keith blinked at Lance and then laughed anxiously while shaking his head.

"No I-I was a pretty ugly baby. I think it's best if we hold off bringing out the baby pictures," he stammered.

"That's fine," Micheal nodded. "I guess you're just gonna have to imagine it then," he smiled patting Lance on the back. Lance rolled his eyes and poked Keith's arm.

"He's just be moody and sensitive as always," Lance said.

"Shiro! That wine is for cooking!" Keith's mom, Ann, yelled from the kitchen. Shiro walked into the living room laughing with a glass of white wine.

"Sorry, Ann, but this is the good stuff," he replied and took a sip. There was a grumbling from the kitchen in response as Shiro sat down in the big chair.

"What's up?"

"Is Harold and Jenny coming over soon?" Micheal asked. Shiro pulled out his phone.

"They said they're-" he was interrupted by a knock on the door. "…almost here," he said with a smile before getting up.

     Before Shiro could even get to the front door it was opened to reveal who Lance assumed to be Harold and Jenny. Although he was surprised to see a smaller figure with them in a sparkly pink dress and a floral rain coat. The child beamed with delight and ran to hug Shiro.

"Shiro! Shiro!" She screamed and clung to his waist.

"Hey, kiddo," Shiro replied and patted her head. She looked like she was still in elementary school, but was almost in middle school.

"Is Kaci here?" She asked looking up at him. Keith's heart stuttered.

"Uh, yes, but-"

"Kaci!" The girl called and raced over to Keith. His face was bright red as he embraced his cousin.

"Hey…Angela," he said, finding it hard to breath. Lance leaned over to Keith's ear.

"Who's Kaci?" He asked.

"Um…" Keith struggled to think as Angela got off his lap and bounced over to Micheal.

"Uncle Micheal!" She grinned and jumped into his arms.

"Oof…hey sweetie," he groaned.

"Honey, what did we tell you about calling Keith Kaci," Jenny said as she caught up to her daughter. Angela blinked up at her confused. Lance was right with her.

"Huh?"

"Kaci goes by Keith now, and he would really appreciate it if you didn't call him Kaci," Harold reminded her.

"But Kaci is a g-" Micheal quickly covered Angela's mouth and hushed her.

"Why don't you go and see Ann in the kitchen. I think she'll let you try some food before the rest of us," Micheal suggested. Angela gasped.

"I love food!" She said and instantly rushed to the kitchen. The old adults let out a deep breath, but Keith was squeezing his hands into fists as he was desperately trying to keep himself together.

"Who's Kaci?" Lance asked again. Keith clenched his jaw.

"Uh…she was an old cousin that looked like Keith. She's…" Shiro failed to come up with a further explanation.

"Dead," Keith murmured. Lance looked at him and instantly noticed he was upset.

"You okay?" He asked moving a little closer. Keith was shaking.

"I'm fine…" he lied.

"Kaci was close to all of us," Jenny blurted. Keith looked up at her, and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Does Angela not understand or something?" Lance asked. Keith nodded.

"Yeah," he said.

"Oh…that…that's really unfortunate. I'm sorry," Lance said wrapping an arm around Keith's shoulder. Keith decided to take comfort in Lance and lean his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. Shiro sipped his wine and smiled at the sight of Keith relaxing against Lance.

"Dinner! Dinner! Dinner!" Angela announced as she bounced in from the kitchen.

"Great timing," Harold muttered.

     Jenny lightly smacked his arm and they headed to the dining room. Lance and Shiro stayed a little longer while Keith tried to put himself back together. It was easier and quicker with Lance's arms around him. It made him feel safe and warm and he was ready to just take a nap on his chest. Instead he opened his eyes he didn't even remember closing and started to stand up.

"Thanks," he said to Lance who stood up with him.

"Of course," Lance replied and pressed a loving kiss to his cheek while giving him another quick hug. Keith smiled a little and walked past Shiro into the dining room with the others. Lance smiled as he watched him and went to follow him only for Shiro to stop him short.

"Lance," he sighed. "Thank you." Lance blinked. That surprised him for some reason.

"Uh…no problem," he replied. Shiro shook his head.

"Lance…you don't really understand. Keith was about to have a panic attack," he told him.

"I know," Lance nodded.

"I have never seen him calm down that quickly in all the time we've known each other," he informed Lance. Lance furrowed his brows.

"He's always calmed down relatively fast as far as I know," Lance replied.

"That's because you're good for him. I remember I would spend hours with him just to get him to stop crying, let alone being able to breath right again. I've never seen him recover from panic so well," Shiro said.

"Really?" Lance asked quietly. Shiro nodded.

"So, honestly…thank you," he repeated.

"You're welcome," Lance murmured and looked over at Keith at the table. 

     Angela was talking to him from across it, and he looked rather uncomfortable. He looked up and met Lance's eyes and a smile spread across his face. Lance smiled back, and it was ridiculous how quick Keith's anxieties melted away. He had completely forgotten about what Angela was saying and leaned his elbow on the table as he looked at Lance with a loving gaze. What he got in return was an equally warm and affectionate look from his boyfriend. He patted the chair next to him, and Lance nodded and looked back to Shiro.

"Let's get some food."


	14. Coming out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lance finally learns the truth

"You have some stuffing on your face," Lance told Keith.

"I'm saving it," he muttered as he shoveled more food in his mouth.

"What do you mean you're saving it?" Lance questioned.

"For later."

"Keith, wipe it off."

"You're not my mom," Keith replied and got more stuffing on his face.

"Honey, listen to your boyfriend," Ann chided.

"I'm an adult, mom," Keith argued.

"Then why are you eating like a child?" Harold teased. Keith rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Even _I'm_ neater than you," Angela said.

"Well you're a neat freak, so it doesn't count," Keith argued.

"Keith, gimme your face," Lance said holding a napkin. Keith shook his head and took another bite.

"Dude," Lance held his chin and turned his face to him. Keith groaned, but surrendered to Lance cleaning off his face.

"See? All better," Lance claimed.

"I'm glad _someone_  is looking after my son while he's off in the real world," Micheal muttered.

"Hey, I'm trying my best," Shiro defended. Keith chuckled and Lance blushed a little with a grin.

     There was a lull in the conversation as they all continued eating. Keith proceeded to get more stuffing on his face that made Lance roll his eyes. Shiro poured himself some another glass of wine, promising it was the last one, but knowing it was okay to crash there if he had too much. Jenny and Harold had a bone verbal communication about passing the butter, and Angela was humming some kind of song. Ann cleared her throat and looked up at Lance.

"So…" she started off. Lance looked up at her ready to hear what she had to say. "Has Keith told you about…his condition yet?" She asked. 

     Keith's fingers fumbled and his fork clanked against his plate. Shiro froze with his wine glass in front of his lips. Micheal sighed. Harold and Jenny continued to be quiet. Lance frowned and furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Condition?" He asked. Ann pursed her lips as she glanced at the disapproving look her husband gave her. She looked guiltily at her plate and then picked up her fork again.

"I guess not…sorry," she said. Lance looked to Keith and then to Ann again.

"…what condition?" He asked.

"It's nothing," Keith said before standing up. "Excuse me," he muttered and walked away from the table. Lance watched him, worried about Keith's sudden absence, and then looked at Shiro. He was gulping rather than sipping his wine.

"Um…excuse me," Lance said before getting up and going after Keith. Micheal took the bottle of wine from in front of Shiro's plate and poured some into his now empty water glass.

"Way to go, Ann," Jenny sighed. Ann sighed too.

"Way to go," she mumbled to herself.

     Keith didn't get far before Lance caught up to him. He got far enough that he was out of sight of the dinning room, but he hadn't quiet made it to the laundry room. Hot tears were falling without consent, and he angrily wiped them away as he tried to muffle the sobs threatening to leave his chest.

"Keith!" Lance said and grabbed his wrist. "Dude, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" Keith stuttered ripping his hand away and turning in time for his shoulder to loudly collide with the door. Lance's expression could only be described as absolutely worried and surprised. Keith squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.

"Sorry," he breathed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Keith, what happen? Wha…why are you crying?" Lance asked. He reached to wipe the wetness away, but Keith quickly did it for himself.

"I-I'm not," he denied and used the front of his shirt to dry his cheeks.

"Keith," Lance said sternly and frowned deeper.

"It's nothing, I'm just…" he took a deep breath. "I-I'm just over reacting," he murmured. 

     Lance didn't say anything, and Keith stepped away from him and the door. He paced a few steps and wiped away the last of his tears. With that taken care of, he leaned his back against the nearest wall and took slow deep breaths. Lance starred at the spot Keith was in moments before, and then looked at his boyfriend. He then slowly walked over, and leaned against the wall space next to him. He looked down at his feet and then at Keith's feet.

"Y'know…one time I went to thanksgiving at Hunk's house," he spoke. Keith's head slightly turned towards Lance, but he continued to look at the floor. "It was a complete disaster," he said. Keith smiled.

"How so?"

"Well…it turns out that I'm allergic to cranberries, and Hunk's mom _loves_ cranberries. She coated the turkey in cranberry sauce before she cooked it, and I had like a bunch of it. My tongue swelled up so bad, and we had to call an ambulance. I even got my stomach pumped," he replied. Keith giggled.

"I couldn't even speak properly. Like I was just…muh muh muh the whole time trying not to choke on my tongue," he continued. Keith broke out into a grin and laughed a little harder at the image of Lance's allergic reaction.

"I thought I was gonna die. I told Hunk to tell my mom I was sorry about something I did in fifth grade, but he couldn't understand anything I was saying. So he was freaking out because I was being hysterical and he couldn't even understand what I was saying."

"Oh my god, Lance," Keith chortled. Lance laughed too, and nudged Keith's shoulder with his own.

"My last words would've been 'muh muh muh muh' and no one would know what it meant," he said.

"That's terrible," Keith replied.

"Yeah…" he sighed. Keith leaned his head on Lance's shoulder again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…if you think this is going horribly wrong and I'll never want to spend another thanksgiving with you and your family again…you're gonna have to try harder because I still went to Hunk's house next year," Lance told him. Keith chuckled under his breath and readjusted his head.

"Thanks," he mumbled. Lance gently intertwined their fingers together and nodded.

"No problem," he said and kissed to top of Keith's head.

"That's not the reason I was upset though," Keith told him.

"What was it? Was it what your mom said?" Lance asked. Keith nodded. "Don't worry. I won't ask," he assured Keith.

"It's…god, it's so complicated Lance," he groaned.

"How so?"

"The way my mom worded it…it's just…it's not a condition. It's just…" he trailed off and shook his head. He looked down at their fingers and rubbed his own against Lance. "It's complicated."

"You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to," Lance assured him.

"I do, it's just…I'm scared," he confessed. Lance was silent for a moment.

"Is it because of…him?" He dared to ask. Keith nodded.

"Of all the ways he violated me…that way was the worst," he whispered.

"How…"

"He misgendered me," Keith blurted. "Constantly. Everyday. Still does. Even when I'm not around him. When he's just talking _about_ me."

"Misgender you?" Lance echoed. Keith looked up at him.

"I'm transgender, Lance," he said. Lance blinked. "Kaci wasn't my cousin, and she didn't die. Kaci is my…was my old name," he explained.

"Oh…"

"Zak…he's…h-he says that he's straight, and he was so afraid of being gay that…he just denied me. Everyday."

"Keith, that's terrible," Lance said. Keith crossed his free arm over over his body and held his side.

"I know that you're not a terrible person, but I don't tell anyone anymore. Everyone assumes that I'm cis, and it's better that way because I don't have to…expose myself that way. I don't have to worry about them spitting in my face and insisting I'm a girl," Keith's voice shook slightly, and Lance squeezed his hand affectionately. "I didn't want to tell you because…I just didn't want to have this conversation," he confessed.

     Keith had turned his head away from Lance and fiddled with the fabric of his shirt. Lance was silent for a little longer before he let go of Keith's hand. The lack of warmth prompted Keith to turn his head only to be greeted with Lance stepping in front of him. Those deep navy eyes wondered up from the floor to Lance's gaze, and he could see every emotion swimming behind them. The fear and the anxiety mixed with hope and desperation and, most importantly, love. It nearly broke Lance's heart. He didn't hesitate to push back some of Keith's hair that was matted to his face from his tears. The fact that they were in Keith's parent's house flew right over Lance's head as he leaned in and captured those pouty lips. Soft, full-but-not-full lips that Lance finally understood. He drew back slowly and rested his forehead against Keith's. When he looked up there was less fear behind those gorgeous eyes.

"I _love you_ , Keith. _Nothing_  is going to change that," he whispered. Keith's eyes widened at the word love. His cheeks flushed red and he held on to his boyfriend's arms.

"Lance…" he breathed. His head turned to fit their mouths better while his hot breath hit Lance's lip.

"God, please don't say my name like that," Lance begged.

"Why not?" Keith questioned and inched his hands up to Lance's shoulders.

"Because there's only so little that's stopping me from kissing you senseless against this wall right now," Lance replied as he settled his hands on Keith's waist. Keith tilted his head another way and traced his fingers along Lance's jaw.

" _Lance_ ," he whispered.

"Fuck you," Lance sighed before smashing their lips together.

     Heat. It was hot. Pressing his lips and his body against Keith's all at once was like his whole soul was being embraced with a warm hug. The feeling of Keith sliding his arms around Lance's neck made him desperate for more, and the small noise that left his mouth as Lance kissed him was borderline seductive. It drove Lance crazy. He pressed Keith's waist into his own, and the soft gasp that left his lips when their hips came into contact nearly killed Lance. Keith dug his hand into Lance's hair and pressed his tongue against Lance's lower lips. All kinds of mental curses went through Lance's head when Keith's warm wet tongue made contact with him. He let go of his boyfriend's waist and in lieu held his head while lovingly stroking his cheeks with his thumbs.

     They've never kissed like this before. The closest was when they made out in Keith's car, but even then it seemed pretty tame. Lance's chest burned with emotion as Keith desperately latched on to him and pulled it out of him like a magician with a never ending hanky. It took everything in Lance not to pin Keith to the floor and hold him tight against his body. While it wasn't exactly a lust driven kiss the mixture of emotions between them made it easy to want more. To want to touch, and moan, and find comfort with the person they loved. That's why Lance kept his hands cupping Keith's face, and controlled his tongue to the best of his abilities. He could tell Keith wasn't ready for that, and that was perfectly okay.

"Keith, Lance-" The two broke off at the sound of Shiro's voice, and when Lance looked at the older man his brain nearly combust.

"Are you serious! Why does this keep happening!" Lance cried out gesturing to Shiro. Keith tried not to laugh, but ended up laughing along with Shiro.

"Sorry, Lance. I didn't mean to interrupt," Shiro said.

"Lance, it's okay," Keith assured him.

"He's gonna think that this is all we do!" Lance argued. Keith giggled.

"Wait, is it not?" Shiro teased. Lance shot him a glare and a pout.

"It's not," he insisted.

"Could've fooled me," Keith muttered. Shiro laughed and Lance glared at Keith.

"Who's side are you on?" He asked pulling his arms away and folded over his chest.

"Well I never said it was your fault," Keith replied innocently and withdrew his own hands behind his back. Lance couldn't decide what he wanted to do more in that moment: kiss Keith, or pinch him.

"Okay you two. Come back and finish dinner before you go at it again," Shiro said before turning back to the dinning room.

"Trust me, we're not going at it for a _while_ ," Lance said following him. He didn't get far before Keith touched his shoulder and kept him back. "I mean it-"

"Thank you," Keith interrupted. Lance blinked in surprise.

"For what?" He asked. Keith looked down coyly and trailed his hand down Lance's arm. He unfolded his arms from his chest, and the pale hand continued down until their fingers intertwined.

"For being here…and for being you," Keith murmured. Lance was silent, and Keith leaned his head on Lance's shoulder.

"You don't need to thank me for that," Lance finally said and then kissed to top of Keith's head.

"I love you then?" Keith's voice suggested that he was still embarrassed to say it. They both were in all honesty. Lance smiled.

"I love you too."

     They rejoined Shiro and the rest of the family at the table. Ann apologized immediately for her rudeness, and Keith accepted her apology before telling her that Lance now knew. The rest of the evening went smoothly. After dinner was dessert, and once they were all thoroughly stuffed they crowded in the living room and all watched Christmas movies. Keith told Lance it was a tradition as they cuddled up together on the couch. Shiro poked fun when Lance started to play with Keith's hair, but only enough for them to blush a little. Despite the very mild embarrassment Lance continued to swirl Keith's locks and hold him closer. 

     As Keith leaned his head on Lance's chest he realized that he hadn't stopped smiling ever since they came back to dinner. That made him smile wider and his chest feel warm. He was comfortable enough listening to the steady beating of Lance's heart that his eyes started to droop, and before he knew it Keith was falling asleep in Lance's warm noodle arms. It was the best thanksgiving Keith had had in a long time.


	15. Gentle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some back story and fooling around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: misgendering, panic attacks, and past trauma

     The truck sputtered to life after several tries with the keys. It was an older truck, much like Zak's car, with chipped paint and a musty dashboard. It was Thace's truck. He had gotten it from his dad, and it seemed he wasn't too kind to it either. Sendak sighed with relief when it finally started and Haxus chuckled.

"Lighten up you old bum. The kid's got it figured out," Haxus said from the back and patting Sendak's shoulder.

"Y'know I'm only like two or there years younger than you guys?" Thace muttered as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"You're young enough for our handler to mistake you for an angsty teen," Sendak muttered.

"Maybe that's a good thing. No one suspects a kid to be carrying over 30 kilograms of unknown drugs in his beat up truck," Thace pointed out. Sendak rolled his eyes, and Haxus laughed.

"The kid kinda has a point," he grinned.

"You're both idiots," Sendak sighed. Thace frowned.

"Hey, at least we got the job done. Did you tell Zak it was delivered?"

"Yeah, and he said whoop dee fucking doo," Sendak replied. Thace sighed and turned into the street.

"Lighten up, Sendak. What are you so moody about?" Haxus asked.

"You know what…"

"Is this about Kaci?" He continued. Sendak clenched his jaw.

"Who's Kaci?" Thace asked.

"Before your time, kid. Now drop it," Sendak said.

"She was Zak's little doll," Haxus said. Sendak shot a glare at his teammate and Haxus immediately regretted his words.

"Little doll? Like a prostitute or something?" Thace questioned. Sendak let out a cynical laugh and turned his head to look out the window. He shook his head in disgust and fiddled with his nail. "Uh…"

"I wish she was a prostitute, to be honest," Haxus sighed. Thace furrowed his brows.

"I don't really…understand?"

"Kaci was a high schooler Zak would flirt with every time we went bowling years ago. She worked at the bowling alley, and she was only fifteen when he met her," Sendak finally told Thace.

"Fifteen? How old was Zak?"

"Twenty three," Haxus said.

"What the fuck?"

"He dragged her into this fucked up lifestyle, and basically ruined her. I'm surprised she even made it through in one piece," Sendak said watching the trees pass by him.

"What did he do to her?"

"Anything. Everything. Sex and drugs and all that shit," Haxus said with less care in his voice. Sendak kept his eyes trained on the trees.

"That's…"

"Fucked up," Sendak muttered.

"Hey, don't get too sentimental about her-"

"Shut the fuck up. You didn't see her like that, Haxus," Sendak snapped and pulled out his box of cigarettes. 

     Haxus was finally quiet as Sendak rolled down the window and pulled out a cig. There was total silence in the truck as Thace continued to drive and Sendak lit up his cigarette. His fist puff of smoke was total stress relief. It blew out through the window and he leaned his head back to enjoy it. Thace kept his eyes on the road, but his curiosity prompted him. Sendak took another drag and sighed deeply after the toxic clouds were swept away.

"See her like what?" Thace asked in a small voice. Sendak looked over at the younger team member, but Thace kept his eyes on the road.

"Doped up on drugs and confused as hell," Sendak replied.

"It wasn't _that_ bad, Se-"

"She was a _child_ , Haxus," Sendak growled. He took out his cigarette and turned to look back at him. "You don't know how bad it was for her. You didn't see her when Zak left her drugged out and by herself. She was hallucinating and scared. She should've been in _school_  but instead she was on _my_  living room floor switching between laughing her ass off and crying her eyes out. She spent _hours_ each week begging me to see Zak again, and that Zak had her daily meds, and that she _needed_ him, and Zak this Zak that _when all he was doing was making her worse_."

     After his outburst, Sendak settled back in his seat and took a deep inhale of his cigarette. The silence that was there before was back, and both Thace and Haxus didn't know what to say. It was obvious Sendak didn't want to talk anymore, and that was fair. Haxus was dropped off at his own apartment, and then Thace drove Sendak back to his own appartement building. His room was just below Zak's, and it had been ever since they started their little team. Sendak was silent as Thace pulled up in one of the parking spaces. He finished off his cigarette and sighed. When he didn't get out Thace didn't question it. Then Sendak turned off the car.

"Kaci is around your age now," he spoke softly compared to how he spoke earlier. Thace blinked at Sendak.

"She…she is?" He stammered. Sendak nodded.

"You remind me of her in some ways…but she's a real unique person. There's no one quite like her out there…"

"Oh."

"Zak thinks he loves her," Sendak stated. Thace furrowed his brows.

"Do you think he doesn't actually love her?"

"I think he doesn't really know what love is. The closest he's ever gotten was obsession."

"Is that…what happened with Kaci?" He asked. Sendak was silent for a moment.

"Her brother called the cops on Zak. There was no evidence, and we all lied on trial saying we had never seen her before. She didn't show up to the trial because her brother wouldn't let her. They performed a rape kit on her, but they didn't find any semen. Mostly because Zak isn't an idiot. He knows to be careful," Sendak said.

"That's…"

"Evil?"

"Yeah."

"He's a drug lord. What did you expect?" Sendak scoffed.

"I dunno…not a pedophile?"

"Be careful with that word," Sendak warned.

"Why? That's what he is," Thace argued.

"Don't get me wrong. He is, by all means, a pedophile…but he's also the boss. Just don't say it around him," Sendak explained. Thace clenched his jaw with frustration.

"That's…not right. I mean drugs is one thing, but…he ruined her life."

"Listen, kid. Zak is an honest to god malicious man. He's greedy, and power hungry, and a dick. But if you want to go back to a minimum wage job helping out middle aged men and women, and shitty teens bag their groceries then be my guest."

"So you're just okay with this?" Thace questioned. Sendak looked down at his feet. Silence again.

"Not a day goes by that I don't regret not doing something about it," he murmured. "Kaci was…she was difficult. She was pretty…gorgeous actually, and funny, and witty," he looked up and leaned his head back against the head rest.

"Did you love her?" Thace asked. Sendak laughed bitterly, but looked away incase he couldn't blame the redness in his eyes on the cigarette smoke.

"When Zak wasn't fucking her and filling her up with drugs and booze she was with me. I cared for her. I made sure she didn't fucking die on Zak's hands. I was responsible for making sure she didn't get pregnant, and that she got fed, and that she went back home safe when school was out. I held her hair back when she puked in my toilet, and I scrubbed out the stains when she missed. I hated the fucking brat at the time, but now I just feel guilty. Zak really fucked up with her," Sendak said. Thace's jaw dropped. "My heart aches for her everyday she escaped. I only wish that she's okay now."

 

* * *

 

     Keith couldn't remember what was happening. The last thing he could remember was cuddling in Lance's dorm as they took advantage of Hunk's night class. It was a surprise that Shiro gave Keith the rest of the night off before his own night class. In fact all he did was walk in before Shiro ushered him back out. He said something along the lines of "get some sleep before you even think about coming back to work". Keith argued that he wasn't tired, but the moment he sunk into Lance's bed and fit his arms around that tiny waist he instantly fell asleep. 

     Next thing he knew he was woken up on his back with the feeling of lips all over his jaw. He briefly forgot where in the universe he was before his hands settled on Lance's legs that were on either side of him. He would've reached for his neck, but his arms felt too heavy, and his eyes were still closed from exhaustion.

"Lance…" he sighed and turned his head to block his boyfriend's mouth. As much as he enjoyed touching and kissing, he was extremely tired.

"C'mon, baby," Lance whispered in a husky voice.

     Keith has never heard Lance's voice so deep and rugged. He sounded desperate, and when he kissed Keith it was painfully obvious that Keith was dealing with a very horny Lance. A soft moan was pushed from Keith's throat at that thought, and Lance ate it up immediately.

"Lance-" he was cut off by another maddening kiss.

     It wasn't helping Keith's own situation downstairs, and it made him breath a little faster. His hands somehow trailed up Lance's legs and they were on his hips once again. Keith let out a deep drawn out moan that finally tore him from Lance's addicting mouth.

"Is this okay? Can I…keep going" Lance had half the mind to finally ask Keith for permission. He finally opened his eyes to see just how needy Lance's expression was. It made him bite his lip to prevent another moan from leaving, but it did regardless.

"What's even happening?" He sighed.

"I got a little carried away trying to wake you up," Lance explained and smiled a little. Keith chuckled and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Why did you wanna wake me up?"

"I wanted to make out…and…m-maybe something more," Lance stuttered turning bright red. Keith liked the sight of Lance blushing and shy at the mere suggestion of sex. Keith smiled.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I don't wanna make you uncomfortable…" Lance started off. He leaned back and dragged his hands down Keith's chest. "…but…" he played with one of the buttons.

"But?" Keith murmured. 

     He was still rather tired, but willing to keep the conversation. Lance frowned and then pursed his lips. He stilled his finger against Keith's button, and instead peeled off his own shirt. Now Keith was awake. Wide awake in fact. He blinked his eyes open to see Lance's bare chest, and was speechless. Lance was fucking gorgeous, Keith already knew that, but Lance _without a shirt_ was beyond any description of beauty. He shyly looked down at Keith with his shirt still bunched up around his arms and hands. It was actually in the way of the view, and Keith was five seconds away from just burning that damn shirt.

"Is…is this okay?" He asked. Keith nodded dumbly and reached up to moved his hands down. The red across Lance's cheeks deepened and dripped down over his collarbones and his chest. It was a beautiful sight.

"Can I…" Lance trailed off and picked at Keith's button again.

     Navy eyes flicked up to Lance's face and Keith's arousal was put on pause. The last time Lance tried to take off his shirt he freaked out, but that was before Lance knew. Still…it made his heart race with anxiety rather than other things. He decided to undo his own buttons instead of nod this time. It was rare for Keith to wear anything besides basic tee shirts, but for some reason he thought to wear a plaid button up. He could feel Lance watching his fingers pick each button until his shirt was free to be opened. His eyes wondered back to his partners face again, and he was surprised by just how heavy Lance's eyes were with lust. He finally ditched his shirt on the ground and ran his finger down the sliver of flesh his unbuttoned shirt exposed. Keith shivered under his warm finger and sighed.

"Should I keep asking, or should you tell me when to not do something?" Lance asked. Keith bit his lip.

"I'll tell you," he replied.

     With that Lance pushed the fabric out of the way. He spread his fingers over Keith's abdomen and pushed over his chest before sliding down his arms. His eyes were everywhere. Keith's chest rose and fell with each breath, and the nude fabric that moved with it almost blended in with his skin. From far away it surely would look natural, but up close Lance could see the texture and the slight difference in tone. His hips looked ever so slightly wider without his shirt, but besides that his figure was undetectable. There was no dip in his waist, and there wasn't any muffin top to compliment it. It was smooth and beautiful, and when Lance reached out to touch again he was reminded that Keith was watching. As tan fingers drifted over his chest Keith's heart hammered under the fabric. He could feel it, and when he looked to Keith's face his eyes were trained on Lance's hand.

"Does it ever hurt?" Lance asked. Keith looked up at him and then shrugged.

"Sometimes."

"Does it hurt now?"

"A little," Keith admitted. Lance pressed his lips together before leaning down.

     Kissing Lance was such a fantastic thing that Keith would never have the strength to deny it. He wanted Lance in every way possible. Now he was sitting on Keith's lap shirtless with his hands all over him. While he was definitely nervous, there was a deeper more important part of him that was satisfied with this situation. In fact he was so satisfied that he wanted more. 

     It seemed his brain had finally caught up to the rest of him, and he instantly kissed Lance back with fever. He ran his hands down Lance's chest and moaned at how nice it felt to touch him. His lips devoured Lance, and he needily sucked and bit at his lower lip. Lance gave him anything he wanted in response. He moaned as Keith touched him more over his waist and down his thighs. But his thighs were covered in denim, So Keith quickly resumed touching any and every inch of skin in front of him.

     With every kiss and every moan they shared Keith felt a weight lifting from his chest. He was _enjoying_ this. He was _thoroughly enjoying_  kissing Lance with half his shirt off and being touched. He was absolutely thrilled with his reaction, or lack thereof, to such intense intimacy. Lance moved to kiss down his throat and Keith tipped his head against the pillow. His breath was heavy and Lance's lips felt so good trailing down his collar bones and ever onto his binder a little. He didn't stay long before returning to Keith's lips and tongue.

"Lance," Keith breathed. His crotch burned with arousal, and he nudged his hips up against Lance.

"Fuck," Lance breathed. He rocked his hips in response and Keith could _feel_ everything. His head tipped back again and he whined with furrowed brows. Lance leaned down and bit at his neck, teeth digging into flesh, as he slipped an arm under Keith's back.

     Keith suddenly froze. His entire body went completely ridged as his eyes widened. The pressure against his waist, and the sharp teeth on his neck sent him back. All he could think of was cigarette breath, and seeing double. Zak pinning him down and taking advantage of his body. Too much drugs in his system to understand what was happening, but feeling _everything_. His gross rugged fingernails, and the painful stretch that tore and made his body ache. It was all so much and all he could see was that stained ceiling from so many years ago. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his jaw was stuck in shock. He gripped the mattress underneath him as a small stream dripped down his cheek.

     Of course Lance was oblivious to all of this. The only indicator that something happened was the sudden wetness added to the kiss on Keith's neck. Then there was a bitter salty taste that prompted Lance to pull back and see the look of shock on Keith's face.

"Holy shit, Keith? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Keith could only manage to make a strangled noise. Lance cupped his face.

"Keith, what's wrong? What happened? Breathe, baby," he urged. Keith finally took a breath in the shape of a sob. His eyes closed and there was another sob ripping from his throat. "Talk to me, Keith. What happened?" Lance cooed and wiped away his tears.

"I don't want to…I don't want to," Keith murmured shaking his head.

"You don't have to. Keith, you don't have to," Lance assured him.

"Gentle…please," Keith sobbed. Lance tried his best to hold back his own tears, but ended up failing before wrapping his arms around Keith's neck.

"I'll be gentle. I'll always be gentle," he promised. Keith's arms shook as he hugged Lance back.

"F-fuck," he stuttered and then buried his face into Lance's neck.

"You're okay. You're safe with me," Lance told him. Keith sniffled and tightened his embrace.

"I'm so sorry. I love you…I love you so much…Lance…" he cried quietly. Lance shook his head.

"Don't apologize," he whispered. Keith squeezed him tight.

"I can't…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO SLEEP IN YOUR BINDER AND THAT KEITH IS A DUMB FOR NAPPING IN IT


	16. Anything for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has a lot of emotions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really trigger warning but like I guess general warning: panic attack recovery, emotional outburst, more panic

Lance: I hope you have a good time at work! I'll see you when your shift is over <3

 

     Keith smiled down at the message on his phone. His shift was almost over, but he had checked that message every hour. While he didn't dread work, he preferred to be with Lance over anything. The message made him perk up, and more friendly to the customers. Shiro noticed it, and patted Keith on the back.

"You're doing good today," he told Keith. The younger man grinned up at him.

"Thanks," he replied and continued wiping off the bar.

"I heard about…what happened last night," Shiro informed him. Keith's smile slowly went away, but he continued to work.

"Did Lance tell you?" He murmured.

"Yeah," Shiro confirmed.

"Probably a good thing he did it."

"Because you wouldn't?" Shiro asked raising a brow. Keith nodded. "I see…do you wanna talk about it?" Keith stopped his cleaning for a moment. He finally looked up at Shiro, and it was all in his eyes.

"No."

 

* * *

 

"He…always touched me like that," Keith murmured as Lance handed him a glass of water.

"What happened though? You like…blanked out. I thought I needed to call an ambulance or something," Lance said. Keith shook his head.

"No…it was…it was a panic attack, and…it was like I was back there again," Keith replied. Lance frowned and furrowed his brows.

"Back where?" He asked cautiously. Keith held the pillow tighter to his chest. Lance had suggested he take off his binder to help him breath, and the only way he would agree was if he had something to cover him the whole time.

"Back…in his apartment. Sometimes he got me so doped up I couldn't even move or speak…that's when he'd…" Keith stopped talking and shut his mouth tight.

"So, when I was biting your neck and holding your waist…it reminded you of when Zak ra-"

"No," Keith whined he buried his face in his free hand and shook his hand. "No no no…you…it didn't remind me of anything. It…it…y-you didn't-"

"Keith, calm down," Lance soothed and moved closer to him on the bed. Keith was crying again and leaned his head on Lance's shoulder.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's not you, it's-"

"It's not you, either, Keith," Lance corrected before he could say it. Keith whimpered and nuzzled closer. "It's Zak's fault."

"But _I'm_ reacting this way," Keith protested.

"You wouldn't be reacting this way if it wasn't for him," Lance replied. Keith sighed. "Look, it's easy to blame yourself because it feels like it's all in _your_ head, but it's not your fault."

"I just want him to go away," Keith sighed.

"He's gone, Keith. I'm the one here with you," Lance responded. Keith looked up at him, and Lance wiped away more of his tears.

"I'm so glad you are…" he murmured. Lance smiled and kissed his forehead.

"I'm glad you're here too."

"Where were you like eight years ago?" Keith mumbled and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. Lance chuckled.

"In a completely different state," he answered.

"I wish I could've met you then…before this mess," Keith said. Lance's smile faded, and he cradled Keith's head to his chest.

"Me too…"

 

* * *

 

"Are you sure? It doesn't have to be with me. We can schedule another appointment-"

"I'm fine," Keith interrupted softly. Shiro sighed.

"Keith…please," he said. Keith continued cleaning. "It'll help."

"I don't need a counselor. I have Lance," he replied.

"Yes, you do have Lance, and Lance is great. He has helped you so much, but he's not a doctor," Shiro reminded him.

"I don't want a doctor. I just want Lance," Keith said a little harsher. Shiro frowned.

"Keith, what's going on?"

"Nothing-"

"Why won't you tell me what happened last night?" He demanded to know.

"I already talked to Lance," Keith replied.

"I get that, but Lance isn't your only form of support," Shiro insisted. "I care about you too, Keith. I wanna know if you're okay-"

"I said, I'm fine!" Keith snapped.

"But-"

"You're not my dad, Shiro! You're not my parent, and you're not my guardian, and you're not my _real_  brother!" Keith almost shouted. Shiro was thankful that the restaurant was almost empty. He clenched his jaw.

"You're acting like a child," he told Keith. That struck a chord in him, and he ended up throwing down his towel.

"I don't care," he grumbled before storming off.

"Keith, wait!" Shiro called, but Keith was already out of the bar area. 

     It wasn't long before Keith was completely out the door and submerged in cold winter air. He shivered and wiped away his angry tears before continuing to his car. His fingers were too cold to pick up his keys, but that didn't matter since they were still in his jacket inside. So instead he continued on to the liquor store next door and thankfully found some warmth. 

     There were two other people in the store, but he couldn't care less about them. In lieu he browsed the shelves of bottles and tried not to think about how angry he was. He was looking between two bottles that looked the same, yet somehow different. This was his first time in a liquor store, so he had no idea if the brands mattered.

"Is Red Robin running low?" A stranger asked. Keith looked over at a man around his age standing next to him. He had a beat up old jacket and a bottle of Whiskey in his hands. His face was angular, and he had a decent amount of scruff. He had symmetrical white streaks in his hair.

"Uh…no. This is for me," Keith responded.

"Ah, I see. Any plans, or just for yourself?" He asked further.

"Just for me," Keith responded blandly. The man nodded.

"Well…if you're having troubles picking one I like this one," he pulled the cheaper one off the shelf.

"What's the difference?" Keith asked.

"The price," he answered.

"Just the price?"

"Yup. Basically the same stuff in a slightly different bottle," the man confirmed.

"Oh…" Keith read the label and then flipped it to read the back.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Keith."

"My name's Thace," the man announced holding out his free hand. Keith looked away from the bottle and accepted his handshake.

"Nice to meet you," Keith mumbled out of politeness.

"Thace! Stop standing around. Unless you wanna pay for yourself get over here!" Shouted a chilling and familiar voice. Keith completely froze at the sound and was too scared to look up. Thace groaned.

"Calm down, old man. I was just chatting," he protested and started to walk towards the register. Keith's eyes followed the voice, but he kept his head down.

"Don't just be chatting willy nilly. You never know who…" the voice trailed off, and Keith could feel a distinct pair of eyes on him. Keith didn't want to look up, and when he did look up he regretted it. Those golden eyes, yellow from smoking and drugs, he had nightmares about. Keith almost had a heart attack looking at that face again.

"Kaci," Sendak said. His voice made it sound like he was in awe rather than shock. Thace turned back and looked at Keith with furrowed brows. Keith's eyes widened and he looked between the two of them before backing away. Thace looked back at Sendak.

"No, his name is Keith," he corrected.

     Keith felt like he was going to throw up. He reached to put the liquor back on the shelf, but he dropped it too short. The bottle landed on the ground with a loud smash and he covered his mouth looking down at his mess. He then looked back up at Sendak and Thace and continued backing away before he darted out of the store.

"Hey! You need to pay for that!" The store owner called as Keith ran back to the Red Robin's parking lot.

"Keith! Ke-Keith!" Shiro's voice was nearby and Keith ran towards it. "There you are-oof!" Shiro grunted as Keith hit him with a bone crushing hug.

"H-he's there. H-he has his people," Keith stuttered. Shiro recognized his tone of pure terror.

"Keith, what do you mean?"

"S-Sendak! H-he's in the liquor st-store," he cried.

"What?" Shiro looked up at the liquor store as two men exited it. He noticed the familiar form he had seen in court and it seemed to notice him too. "Lets go inside," he said sternly. Keith nodded, and Shiro guided him back inside the restaurant.

 

* * *

 

 

     Keith ended up in one of the empty booths after hours. Shiro had made a point to keep him still and take care of him until he was deemed okay to leave. So he sat wrapped up in a blanket with a bowl of hot soup in front of him. Of course Keith was deeply embarrassed about lashing out, but his emotions were so fried from his recent panic attacks and stress he's gone through. He had received a couple messages, but he didn't bother reading them. Inevitably Shiro pulled his phone out and read the messages for him. It wasn't uncommon for Shiro to do that for him. He had to read Keith his messages while he was first recovering.

     One message was from Lance. It said that he was going to be a little late because Hunk needed help with a project. The other message was from Pidge and it was merely a picture of a meme. Shiro told Keith that they would wait for Lance to come and he would drive Keith back to their dorms. Keith mumbled that he could drive, but Shiro said it was either him or Lance driving. He sighed and continued eating his soup.

"Keith…what's going on? I feel like you're bottling stuff up again," Shiro spoke softly. Keith set down his spoon and shrugged.

"I dunno…" he mumbled.

"I get that Lance makes you feel very happy, and I'm more than thankful about that. But Lance isn't the only one who cares about you. I'm always here for you," Shiro assured him. Keith looked up at him and scratched his head.

"I know."

"I'm glad that you know," Shiro patted his shoulder. "If you ever need to say something…just say it."

"I love Lance," Keith blurted. Shiro was silent for a moment.

"Okay…that's-"

"I told him that I'm trans too…and I just wish I could be normal," Keith added quickly. Shiro furrowed his brows.

"You mean…cis?"

"No…like…I wish I didn't get fucking upset anytime things get…a little…y'know…" he trailed off with a red face.

"Sexual?" Shiro guessed. Keith turned redder and leaned back. He covered his face with one hand and nodded. "Oh…"

"Last night…everything was fine, and then-" he stopped himself as he dove into the memory. The violent trigger that knocked the wind out of him was still vibrant in his brain. He had no conscious memory of anything else that day. Just the cracked ceiling, rough hands, and a harsh splitting burning between his legs.

"You were triggered," Shiro filled in for him. Keith nodded again.

"By Lance holding me around my waist," he muttered bitterly.

"Keith-"

"I love him…I wanna do everything with him a normal couple would, but I can't," he voice broke on the last word. Shiro was quiet again as Keith ran his hand through his hair. His half eaten bowl of soup was still hot, and when he pushed it away the warm bowl stung his cold hands. It didn't bother him.

"I know that it feels like you're this broken person with a complicated past, but Keith…" Shiro shook his head, and Keith looked up at him. "You are more than the terrible things Zak has done to you. You _are_ normal, and you _are_  capable of doing normal couple things with Lance. It's just gonna take some work," Shiro assured him. Keith looked back at the bowl.

"I know you want it now, and that's totally valid, but when you work for it it's going to be so much better."

"Best sex advice ever," Keith mumbled.

"I'm assuming you don't just want to have sex with Lance," Shiro replied with a slight smile. Keith shrugged and couldn't help but smile himself. "You straight up told me you are in love with him, I highly doubt the only thing on your mind is sex."

"I mean it's one of the things. It's not like I'm on hormones that literally rewire me to think about it," Keith replied sarcastically. Shiro rolled his eyes and lightly shoved Keith's shoulder. He chuckled slightly in response and shoved Shiro back as his phone buzzed. Shiro picked it up and read it.

"Lance is asking if you're still here and says that he's at the door," Shiro said before standing up.

"Oh…" Keith said as Shiro went over to the front door. When he returned Lance was trailing behind with a smile. It quickly faded when he noticed the blanket, the soup, and the little amount of redness and puffiness in Keith's eyes. He instantly went to Keith.

"Are you okay? Your hands are freezing," he asked taking Keith's hands.

"I'm fine…" Keith murmured.

"He had a bit of a scare. One of Zak's goons was in a nearby shop and recognized Keith," Shiro explained. Lance looked at Shiro with a shocked expression and then back to Keith who was pulling him into the booth with him.

"Zak has like…is he in a gang or something?" Lance asked.

"From what I can remember he was pretty high up in his gang. He's in the drug business or whatever," Keith replied.

"Oh…that would explain…"

"Getting me high all the time," he sighed.

"Anyways…Keith is pretty tired from tonight and last night, so I would really appreciate it if you could drive Keith home tonight," Shiro said. Lance nodded and wrapped his arm around Keith.

"Absolutely. Not a problem," he answered. Keith leaned his head into Lance's neck and sighed with relief. Never has he felt so much comfort in another person's presence and body.

"Thanks. I'll be finishing and closing up, so by the time I'm done we're all gonna have to go home for the night," Shiro said. Lance nodded.

"We'll be out soon," he promised. Shiro nodded and walked away to tend to his last minute duties as the manager.

     With Shiro gone, Keith draped his arm over Lance and played with the hairs on his nape. By now it was a force of habit, but also a way to help calm him down. Lance always welcomed it, and seemed to enjoy it as much as Keith. He pressed a kiss to the top of Keith's head and moved some of his dark hair out of his face. The shorter man sighed and nuzzled against him.

"We should get a cat," Keith murmured. Lance chuckled.

"The dorms don't allow pets. Besides, even if we _could_ get pets we'd get a dog," he replied. Keith smiled and shook his head before looking up.

"No I mean…later in life. We could get a dog and a cat," he said. Lance's smirk softened into a smile.

"You think so?" Keith nodded.

"We could get them from a rescue shelter. Give 'em a nice home and raise them together," he murmured.

"I like that idea," Lance said. Keith laughed softly.

"We could find a place together after we graduate. Settle down for a while and get situated before finding a shelter," Keith's words started to slur together. Lance's company was so comforting and relaxing to him he started to feel just how tired he was. Lance laughed.

"C'mon, Keith. Let's get you home," he said. Keith groaned as Lance tried to get him up, and tried to pull him back down. He sighed.

"We could get a kid too…or not. I dunno if I'd be a good parent," Keith rambled. Lance paused. 

"I'd do my best if that's what you want," he continued. "I saved some of my eggs…we could have a kid if we wanted…if you wanted…" he yawned.

"Keith…"

"I just wanna make you happy…I'd do anything for you," Keith said, his eyes drooping. Lance furrowed his brows as Keith wrapped his arms around Lance's noodle arm.

"I wanna make you happy too," Lance murmured. Keith smiled and nuzzled against him.

"I love you…"

 


	17. Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some angst and some smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: violence, alcohol, mentions of past abuse, misgendering, t-slur

     Thace gripped the wheel of his truck hard. His heart was bounding, and he was beyond furious. Sendak sat in the passenger seat with a cigarette puffing along as if nothing had happened. It made Thace even more irritated. He stopped at a red light and grumbled at Sendak to roll open his window a bit. The older man complied and they continued along in silence. Sendak wasn't an idiot and could tell Thace was upset. He knew why Thace was upset too, but in his mind he was unrightfully so. He tapped his ashes over the window.

"You're obviously itching to yell at me," Sendak spoke. Thace bit his lip and glared at the light as it turned green. "Well don't hold back. Better yelling at me then at Zak," he mumbled and lit up another cigarette.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Thace asked, his voice trembling.

"A lot of things. Next question," Sendak sighed.

"Okay. Why didn't you tell me Kaci is actually Keith and that he's fucking trans?" Thace demanded to know, his voice cracking only slightly. Sendak chuckled, and it sent chills down Thace's back.

"Well, first of all I didn't know. I know Kaci had a falling through with Zak the night before her big bro called the cops on him. Thankfully we weren't in the middle of a trade, so they only found whiskey on us," Sendak explained.

"I don't care about your shitty drugs. You didn't even have the decency to respect his identity," Thace spat.

"No one fucking knew, kid. She wasn't fucking conscious half the time, and the other half she was quiet and compliant. She never argued pronouns, and she never told us her name was Keith. As far as I knew she was some high school girl with a superiority complex," Sendak replied.

"But you still don't use the correct pronouns now," Thace grumbled. Sendak sighed.

"Listen kid. Kenneth, Keith-whatever the fucker's name-isn't here. There's no way I could possibly offend that cunt when she has no clue I'm talking about her," Sendak replied.

"What about Zak? I heard he talked to him recently," Thace questioned. Sendak was silent for a moment. "So?"

"Zak feels as if he is not obligated to use Kaci's correct pronouns and name," Sendak stated simply.

"What? That's crazy! Why would he think that?" Thace lashed out. Sendak tapped his ashes out the window.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" He muttered. Thace pulled up to the apartment Sendak shared with Zak.

"Maybe I will," he replied through clenched teeth as he pulled out his keys.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Sendak sighed.

     Thace was already out of the Truck and slamming the door behind him. Eventually Sendak followed him. He was three feet behind him as he banged on the door and mentally prepared himself for the mess that was about to unfold.

"Piece of-" Thace grunted as he rammed his shoulder against Zak's door.

"Calm down, kid," Sendak advised.

"No! Selling drugs is one thing, but this is just-" Thace stopped talking as the door slowly opened. Zak stood glaring down at Thace. His eyes pierced through the younger man, and he huffed out a puff of smoke in his face.

"What the hell do you want?" Zak asked in a chilling voice. Thace blinked, dazed at first, but quickly reclaimed his anger.

"What is wrong with you?" He growled. Zak looked from Thace to Sendak. The other man nearly shrugged.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zak growled.

"Thace merely wants to have a conversation with you. Who am I to deny that?" Sendak replied. Zak growled again and looked back to Thace.

"Come in," he said and stepped away from the door. Thace and Sendak followed Zak inside his apartment, and Sendak closed the door with his back. Zak returned to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"What do you want, kid?" Zak grumbled.

"I want to know why you have no respect for human life whatsoever," Thace spat. Zak laughed. It was a deep and evil laugh that caused Thace to shake.

"We sell _drugs_ , kid. Everyday I ruin someone's life one fucking milligram at a time," he replied. He knocked back his glass of whiskey in one gulp and immediately poured himself another.

"I'm talking about Keith," Thace announced, standing his ground. Zak paused with his bottle of whiskey still in his hands. He furrowed his brows and then turned his head slightly towards Thace.

"Keith…hmmm…that sounds familiar," he hummed.

"He's talking about Kaci," Sendak spoke up. He was still leaning against the door. Zak slowly inhaled and exhaled before chuckling again.

"Ooooohhh… _Kaci_ ," he grinned, his scars stretching with his lips, and finally faced Thace again.

"That name brings back a lot of memories," he said. Thace glared at Zak.

"You knew didn't you? You knew about him?" He questioned. Zak laughed again.

"Him? Oh Jesus Christ, not you too," he mumbled before taking a sip.

"Not me too?"

"Kaci is so convinced that she's some kinda transsexual…uh huh, yeah right. If anything she's a fucking tomboy. She ruined her body with those fucking hormones. Someone needs to stop her before she gets surgery or something," he said.

"You're sick," Thace grimaced. Zak's eyes turned harsh as he glared back at Thace.

"You wanna know who's really sick?" He asked. Thace was silent. "You wanna know who the real fucking _sicko_  is?" He asked again. Thace glanced at Sendak who merely looked at him in response.

"I-I-"

"That _bitch_  is the _real_ sicko!" Zak said stepping closer to Thace. "You see all these fucking scars all over my mouth? You think these happened by accident?" He continued. Thace back up as Zak got closer.

"N-no, sir-"

" _She_ did this to me! She was so fucking confident in her 'gender identity' and 'dysphoria'…" Zak spoke in a mocking manner using his fingers as air quotes. "…that she put a fucking knife in my mouth!" He shouted. 

Thace backed up into Zak's armchair and fell back with an "oof!"

"She _fucked_  with me everyday!" Zak continued. He threw his glass on the ground. "She told me _I_ was the only one for her! That _I_ was the only one who could 'treat her right'! Not some skinny fucking Mexican kid with a muscle deficiency!" He spat.

"Boss-"

"What?" He growled snapping his head at Sendak.

"Who are you talking about?" He asked. Zak took a moment to calm down and leaned away from Thace.

"It appears…that Kaci has a new _boyfriend_ ," he announced. The room was silent.

"She does?" Sendak whispered. Zak nodded.

"He walks over to the Red Robin's she works at every day she works…and they make out in her car every fucking time," he said walking back to his liquor cabinet.

"How do you know that?" Sendak inquired.

"Saw it with my own two fucking eyes," he slurred as he dumped more liquor in a cup.

"Do you know his name?" Sendak asked. Zak laughed bitterly.

"Lance…" he inhaled and tilted his head back. "She says it like he's a…a fucking prophet of god," he said and then drank straight from the bottle. "She used to say _my name_ like that… _no one else's_ ," he growled.

"Zak-"

"I hate her!" He barked. He turned around and threw the bottle against his wall. It shattered, and the caramel liquid spilled down the wall and soaked into the carpet. "She lied to me!"

"Zak, why don't you get some rest," Sendak suggested.

"I can't sleep without seeing her fucking face…she mocks me while that other guy is sucking on her tits," he slurred. Sendak finally got off of the door and lightly touched Zak's shoulder.

"C'mon, boss, lets get you to bed," he spoke gently and started to guide Zak to his bedroom.

"I took her virginity…that's mine. She's mine," Zak mumbled as he leaned heavily on Sendak.

"Thace…help," He croaked as Zak's weight started to weigh him down.

     Thace quickly got up and raced to help his boss to his bedroom. He continued to mumble absurd things about Kaci. Claiming that she was his, she belonged to him, and that other guy will never truly have her. It made Thace sick to his stomach, but Sendak ignored it as they heaved Zak into his bed. Once they got him on the giant king sized bed Sendak sighed and readjusted his jacket on his frame. Thace looked down at Zak with disgust and then back at Sendak.

"That…is why you don't talk to Zak about Kaci," he said and patted Thace's shoulder.

"Did he really-"

"Yeah…it was awful for everyone, but…" Sendak looked back at Zak's scarred up face. The memories from that night resurfaced and he sighed. "I don't blame her."

 

* * *

 

"Lance…we gotta get to class," Keith huffed. 

     Despite his words, his actions said much more. His hands clutched Lance's hips tightly and held them close against his own. Lance on the other hand was sucking on a patch of skin under Keith's ear and endlessly running his fingers through dark hair. A soft chuckled made the little hairs on Keith's arms stand up, and his iron will melt away like plastic.

"We have ten minutes," Lance pointed out. He pressed softer kisses down Keith's neck until he got to his clavicle and licked a stripe up his throat. Keith moaned and his fingers curled into Lance's flesh.

"The professor usually starts ten minutes early," he reminded Lance.

"Well we're already late then," Lance said. Keith bit his lip and tilted his head back against his pillow.

"We should've left twenty minutes ago," he continued. Lance rolled his eyes and pulled back to look at Keith.

"That class doesn't matter anyways," he said.

"To you maybe…" Keith responded.

"I'm sure there's someone in class that'll give us the notes. Besides, Coran records all of his lectures and puts it on his website," Lance assured him. 

     Keith pouted a little. He didn't skip class often, but when he did it was usually because he was having an anxiety or panic attack. Of course he had sent emails to all of his professors explaining that, so he didn't think that Coran assumed he was off being the hooligan he currently was. It was hard to say no to Lance when he was so enticing and in front of him. He made Keith feel like he was in high school or something. _Real_ high school, not his fucked up experience of it. While his mind was still debating it in his head Lance had leaned down again to press sweet and reassuring kisses to his cheek and jaw.

"C'mon…we never have time to do stuff," Lance murmured. His voice sounded so tempting, and when his lips met Keith's there was no way he could say no then.

"What kinda stuff?" Keith breathed into the kiss. Lance grinned.

"Fun stuff," he replied. Keith blushed and opened his eyes.

"What kinda fun stuff?" He asked. His brain was finding it difficult to function with a human aphrodisiac so close. Lance bit his lip and shifted his hips. Keith's cheeks turned redder and his hands tightened on those sinful hips.

"I think you get the idea," Lance whispered. Keith let out an exhale that was cut off by another movement.

"You are pure evil," Keith sighed.

"Mm…I love you too," Lance replied before kissing him again.

     He rocked his hips against Keith's, and a soft whimper left the latter's lips. He did it again and this time Keith gasped. Keith could feel Lance. He could feel him in his jeans rubbing so needily against Keith, and it was beyond a turn on.

"Fuck," he breathed letting his head fall back.

"Touch me more," Lance promoted and moved Keith's hands under his shirt.

"Lance…" Keith moaned and brought his head up to see where he was touching. 

     Lance rocked his hips again, and created such satisfying friction that Keith bit his lip. He sat back and settled his hands on Keith's stomach. He used his hands as leverage to drag himself back and forth against Keith's crotch. It was addicting to watch and to feel Lance grazing against the most sensitive part of Keith's body. He's never felt so euphoric from mere dry humping. That's what it was at that point.

     Soon enough Lance's shirt was off, and Keith's hands were running over his bare skin. He could feel his heart fluttering in his chest, and the heavy breathing he had picked up from the stimulation. Keith was certain his heart and lungs were in the same, if not worse, condition, and moved his hands to curl around Lance's ass. The skinny man moaned and pushed up Keith's shirt to revel his stomach and black binder. It caused Keith to pause from shock, but he waved off Lance's apologies and assured him it wasn't as big of a deal as it used to be. Instead he kept his focus on Lance's reactions and squeezed his flesh.

"God, Keith," Lance breathed and rocked his hips harder. Keith watched Lance with lustful eyes, and barely processed his own hips rolling up to meet Lance's movements.

"So pretty," Keith breathed. His mouth was dry from panting. He watched every muscle shift under Lance's beautiful brown skin, and moaned at the stutter in his hips from his compliment.

"K-Keith…"

"Do you like it when I compliment you?" Keith asked with a slight smirk. Lance blushed and shook his head.

"No," he lied.

"Are you sure? Because you are fucking _stunning_ ," he murmured. Lance moaned and jerked his hips forward again. Keith hissed and pressed his head back against the bed.

"Sh-shut up," Lance said all breathy and desperate.

"God, you're a fucking angel. Everything about you is gorgeous," Keith continued and pulled his head back up to look at his boyfriend. Lance furrowed his brows and groaned.

"Fuck you," he said.

"I wanna…" Keith breathed. Lance whimpered and swiveled his hips.

"St-top…d-don't-"

"I want you…and your perfect body," Keith uttered. Lance let his head down panting.

" _Shit_ ," he cursed.

"Wanna make you feel good…so good."

"Keith…fuck," Lance cried pathetically.

"I wanna fuck…wanna fuck you," Keith stammered. His hands pushed Lance's hips against his own, adding pressure and pleasure at the same time. Lance's brain was foggy with lust.

"Fuck me," he whined. Keith groaned and threw his head back again. "Fuck me…fuck me…god I want you to finger me," Lance panted.

"Shit… _shit_ ," Keith wheezed.

"I want you inside me…on me…god," he couldn't even string together a proper sentence. He ground his hips extra hard against Keith, and cried out at just how fucking good it felt.

"Lance," Keith rasped.

"You feel so fucking good…so good," Lance murmured. Keith's legs twitched as he flailed his feet up and down his mattress. His hands were all over Lance's body, and his chest heaved as he felt the heat inside him coiling tighter and tighter.

"Fuck," he whined as his toes curled. 

     Lance dug his nails into Keith's sides and ventured one hand between their hips. Keith immediately overflowed the moment he felt Lance's fingers through his jeans. A gasp left his lips and his own nails left little moons over Lance's hips. His body trembled with the heat and the flush of his orgasm, and his jaw was stuck wide open with his back completely arched. The sight made Lance moan as he finished himself with an additional couple swirls of his hips and the warmth that oozed off of Keith.

     Eventually Keith's body relaxed under Lance, and Lance was left with a sticky mess in his pants. They were both breathing hard with half lidded eyes and the leftover euphoria of a mutual orgasm. Soon Keith was blinking up at Lance with wide eyes, and settled his hands on his thighs. They stared at each other before Keith looked down at his hands. He looked at where their pelvises met, and then slowly sat himself up leaning back on his hands. His brows furrowed and he rubbed at his eye with one of his hands.

"Are you okay?" Lance asked. Keith nodded.

"Yeah, it's just…" he set his hand back behind him on the mattress. "…that was the first orgasm I've had in years," he confessed. He was still flushed from their previous activities, but the little laugh that left Lance's lips set his cheeks ablaze again.

"Really?" He asked leaning closer and running the tip of his nose up Keith's neck.

"Y-yeah," Keith stuttered. Lance grinned and pressed a kiss to his pulse.

"Glad I could help," he murmured.

"Can…c-can we do it again?" Keith asked shyly. Lance laughed nervously and pulled back.

"Sorry, but…the thing about…uh…dicks-" he blushed, "-is that once it's done…it's done for a while," he explained vaguely. Keith blinked at him.

"So…you came too?" He asked. Lance blushed even deeper and nodded.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Oh. It must be kinda…uncomfy?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you wanna take a shower real quick?" Keith asked. Lance nodded again.

"Yeah."

"You can use mine. Pidge and I share soap. We buy in bulk together, and I think my towel is still in there from last night," Keith told him.

"You sure?" Lance asked. Keith smiled and nodded. He leaned in to kiss Lance sweetly on the lips.

"Of course," he replied. Lance smiled back.

"Okay." 

     Lance slowly got off of Keith's lap and picked his shirt up from the ground. He could feel his boyfriend's eyes watch him as he headed to the bathroom, and looked back as he opened the door. Keith was now on his stomach with a proud smile on his face. He blushed and buried his head in his pillow. Lance chuckled.

"Hey," he spoke. Keith peeked up at him. "I love you," he murmured. Keith's grin immediately returned and he giggled.

"I love you too."


	18. Spill the beans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> General warning: alcohol abuse

     One thing Lance learned about the dorms was that the showers were all identical. The rooms differed from how each pair of students arranged the beds or their furniture if they could afford some, but the basic shapes of the rooms were identical. Meaning they were all tiny, but livable. When Lance started up the shower it was like he was back in his own dorm. Except instead of his fancy soaps and moisturizers were missing from the sink and the bath. Keith and Pidge shared the same big bottle of body soap, and a similar sized shampoo. Lance was confused by the lack of conditioner.

"Oh yuck," Lance groaned when he peeled off his boxers.

     Feeling the hot liquid in his pants was one thing, but actually seeing it was another thing. He grabbed some toilet paper and wiped off as much cum as he could from his soiled undies. Once that was taken care of he set them out on the sink and tested the water again. It was still warming up but he was itching to get clean, so he stepped into the bath-shower combination and closed the shower curtain.

This was unfamiliar to him. Showering in someone else's shower-someone else that was his _boyfriend_ -and not worrying about leaving soon. All his past relationships were so insignificant compared to how Lance felt now. A smile slipped over his face again as that thought crossed his mind. The warm water washed over his shoulders and down his chest. He opened the body wash.

"Fuck…he doesn't even have a loofa," Lance sighed as he looked around for one. He let it go and lathered himself up the best he could without a proper scrubbing. After he rinsed off that was the extent of his shower and he shut off the water.

     Déjà vu was the first thing to come to mind when Lance saw himself in the mirror. He was drying himself off with Keith's towel, and he thought back to weeks ago. When he was in denial about everything, and when he was so convinced he only saw Keith as a friend. A sense of smugness pulled at his smile, but then a sense of dread pulled it into a frown.

 

     Keith still didn't know.

 

"Shit," Lance sighed. He dried off his hair and shook his head.

     How could he have put it off for so long? They confessed their love for each other for Christ's sake. It was obviously too late at this point, but Keith deserves to know the truth. The awful painful truth of how Lance spent the first month of their relationship oblivious to it, and the first two weeks of him knowing resisting. He tried to get Keith to break up with him, and remembering that killed him. Why would he ever want Keith to break up with him? No one has ever treated Lance as nicely as Keith has. No one held him like Keith did, or talked to him like Keith did, or even fucking looked at him like Keith did. Keith was so much more than he deserved and _he tried to throw that away_.

     Lance's fingers trembled as he dressed himself. His throat felt like there was something stuck in it, and his eyes felt heavy. He was still fucking it up. Just because he had forgotten about it didn't mean it wasn't there. He looked back at his reflection and shook his head. He had to tell him. There was no other choice at that point. He was showering after dry humping and sharing a mutual orgasm with Keith. He let it go on for too long.

     When Lance opened the door the first thing he saw was Keith exactly where he left him. He was laying on his back again and texting someone on his phone. His head turned back, and the smile that spread across his face was absolutely delightful. It made Lance instantly smile back. Keith turned back on his stomach and propped his head on his palms.

"How was your shower?" He asked. Lance chuckled.

"You don't even have a loofa, dude," he replied and closed the door behind him.

"I don't even remember what that is," Keith said and rolled to his side to make room for Lance. The tan man sat down on the edge of the bed smiling still, but didn't really respond. Keith noticed and sat up. He leaned in and kissed Lance's nape.

"Is there something wrong?" He murmured. Lance bit his lip.

"Kinda…"

"What is it?" Keith readjusted himself to sit behind Lance and wrapped his arms around his waist. It caused Lance to feel more guilty.

"Well…would you believe me if I told you I didn't know we were dating until you first kissed me?" Lance asked quietly. Keith's lips stopped against his neck. He pulled back.

"What?" He questioned. Lance looked at his hands in his lap.

"I…I dunno. I just…didn't know you asked me out," Lance attempted to explain further.

"Wait wait…did you think I was just buying food for you for no apparent reason?" Keith questioned. Lance laughed nervously.

"Yeah, kinda," he confessed.

"That's really fucking stupid," Keith told him.

"I mean…I'm pretty slow, and I don't remember you like actually asking me out," Lance defended.

"I explicitly said to you that I wanted to take you out," Keith reminded him. Lance blushed.

"Oh…wow…yeah I definitely should've known by then," he said and then giggled. Keith laughed and nuzzled against Lance's neck.

"No wonder you were so flustered the first time," Keith hummed. Lance's smile faded as he nodded.

"I…it gets shittier," he said.

"What do you mean?" Keith giggled and moved to wrap his arms around Lance's neck. He took a deep breath.

"I was lying to you for a while," he confessed. Keith paused again.

"Wh…what? What are you saying?" He questioned. Lance rubbed at his face and let his head down.

"I should've told you this a lot sooner, but…" he sighed. Keith withdrew his arms.

"Lance, you're scaring me," he announced in an unsteady voice. Lance quickly whipped around with wide concerned eyes.

"Oh god, no. Please, I-I don't wanna scare you," he said. Keith furrowed his brows.

"Well I don't know what to think when you tell me you lied to me. It makes me worried that you're still lying," Keith spoke honestly and truthfully. It was obviously hard for him because the moment he finished speaking he looked down.

"I'm not lying anymore, I promise," Lance assured him and reached for his hand. Keith accepted the fingers curling into his and bit his lip.

"What did you lie to me about?" He asked. Lance took a deep inhale, and let it out fast.

"I…I didn't like you at first," he finally confessed. Keith's eyes snapped up to him.

"What?"

"I…I've been in a lot of shitty relationships. _Nothing_  like…what you went through, but…" he sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "…I'm not good with relationships. I thought that I didn't like you because I cared about you? And I've been so used to _not_ caring about the people I'm with that…I dunno," he explained in a rather unhelpful way. Keith kept his eyes on Lance who was looking at the space between their knees.

"You didn't like me when you first realized we were dating," Keith said. Lance winced.

"It sounds shit when you say it out loud…" he muttered.

"That's true though?" Keith asked. Lance nodded.

"And…I tried to get you to break up with me-" Lance stopped talking when Keith's hand pulled away. He finally looked up to the angry expression on his boyfriend's face. "Keith-"

"Is that what the ADHD bullshit was about?" He asked. Lance nodded.

"That was Pidge's idea…she didn't know _you_ were the one I was trying to break up with," he told him.

"Why couldn't you just break up with me? Why did you have to try and get me to do it?" He questioned. Lance frowned.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked and settled his hand on Keith's knee. He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin between them. "Keith, I'm sorry-"

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Keith interrupted. Lance blinked.

"I didn't want to upset you," he said. Keith shook his head.

"I need to go," he muttered and started to crawl off his bed.

"Keith-"

"I'm just getting some fresh air," he said before Lance could respond.

"Keith, please. Let me come with you," Lance begged. Keith pulled on a pair of boots and slipped on his jacket.

"I really just need to be alone right now," he murmured stubbornly.

"Keith-"

"Text me if you need me," he said and opened the door.

"Keith wait," Lance's voice was pleading. Keith stopped with the door held open. His fingers shook against the knob.

"I love you," he spoke softly before leaving Lance alone in his dorm.

 

* * *

 

     Whiskey burned. Keith had forgotten that since the last time he had some. Then again the last time he drank any alcohol he was also stoned out of his mind, so the burn was usually doped out. When he drank it again straight from the bottle the taste made him pull a face and remember just how much he hated it. Still it was numbing after the sting, and so he drank on.

     This is what the doctors told him not to do. Self medicate with alcohol. At least it wasn't substance abuse, but then again he wouldn't do any drugs even if he was forced too like before. Instead he had wasted whatever amount of money in his wallet on a bottle of gross caramel liquid to dull his aches. Because it wasn't just his heart that was aching. Despite how awful the things Lance told him were, he was more confused than hurt to really understand how he felt. Lance loved him now, and he loved him back. There shouldn't be a problem, but there was.

     He should've been more clear. Why was he so oblivious to Lance's antics? He was head over heels for that idiot and for over a _month_ he was unknowing and uninterested. It made Keith's head hurt too. It made him feel embarrassed and alone again. A sigh escaped his lips and he tipped back the bottle again. How shit.

"I see you took my advice."

     A familiar voice made Keith spit out his drink. He coughed and then looked up at the man he had seen last week in the liquor store. His eyes widened and he immediately started to crawl away as Thace sat down on the curb next to him.

"Y-you-"

"Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you or anything," Thace assured him. Keith swallowed whatever whiskey was left in his mouth and wiped his face off with his sleeve.

"Y-you're one of Z-Zak's guys," he stuttered. Thace nodded.

"Yup."

"Wha…what do you want from me?" He demanded to know.

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk," Thace replied. Keith moved a little further away and shook his head.

"Don't…don't tell him you saw me, please," he begged. Thace frowned and furrowed his brows at Keith.

"Hey, dude, calm down. I'm not gonna tell him anything. Come back here," he assured him. Keith stayed put with a good two feet between himself and Thace. "Or…not."

"What do you want?" Keith asked again.

"I just wanted to chat, okay?" Thace replied defensively. Keith looked down at the ground and hugged the bottle close to him. "I know…what he did to you-"

"So you would know it's not something I'd like to talk about," Keith interrupted.

"Sorry…"

"Why do you want to talk to me?" Keith tried to hold back the venom in his voice, but failed.

"Because…I feel bad for you? I guess I wanted you to know I don't agree with what he did to you," Thace replied.

"Whoop-de-fucking-do," Keith grumbled and took a swig of the bottle.

"I know. It's lame, huh?"

"Extremely," he agreed.

"Well, do you have any reason for drinking a bottle of whiskey by yourself on the sidewalk?" Thace asked.

"To get drunk," Keith said.

"Heh. Whiskey does a good job of that."

"It sure fucking does," Keith agreed. "My boyfriend told me he was lyin' to me," he blurted. Thace looked over at Keith.

"Yeah?" Keith nodded.

"He…didn't know we were dating for like _a month_ …and then he tells me he tried to get _me_  to break up with _him_  because he was too much of a pussy to do it himself," Keith slurred.

"That's pretty shitty," Thace nodded. Keith chuckled a little and nodded too.

"My roommate tried to help him… but she didn't know…she didn't know _I_  was the one he was tryina break up with," Keith continued.

"Wow, really?"

"Yes," Keith said laughing. Thace watched Keith laugh for a while before he let his head down and sighed.

"You okay?" He asked. Keith shook his head.

"I'm in love with him…I didn't think I deserved to be in love with someone," Keith murmured. Thace was silent. Keith sniffled and lifted his head up. "Lance loves me too…that's why he couldn't break up with me himself, but…" he wiped away his tears.

"Are you gonna break up with him?" Thace asked.

"Oh god no," Keith shook his head. "God, Lance…I-I couldn't. He's so…he makes me so fuckin' happy, y'know?" Keith sniffled again. Thace was silent for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah…I know the feeling," he murmured.

"I just…I need to be sad about this. That's all," Keith said.

"That's understandable," Thace replied. Keith sighed and held out the bottle to Thace. The other man accepted his offer and took a quick swig before handing it back.

"Thanks," Thace said.

"No problem," Keith mumbled. His eyes dropped and he curled into his bottle. His body was beginning to slump, but he didn't have anyone to slump against. So instead he laid across the sidewalk and set his bottle down.

"Yo…are you okay?" Thace asked. Keith shook his head.

"I wanna…I should get back…Lance," he mumbled and started to push himself back up.

"Where's Lance?" Thace asked.

"Mm…the…college nearby," he mumbled.

"State or University?"

"State…" Keith mumbled and laid on his back. Thace sighed and stood up.

"C'mon," He said holding out his hand. Keith blinked up at him.

"Huh?"

"Did you drive here or something? Where's your car?" He questioned.

"I walked…" Keith answered and accepted Thace's hand.

"I'll drive you back," Thace said. Keith furrowed his brows and abandoned his bottle on the sidewalk to follow Thace.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because you're drunk, and you should be getting back to your boyfriend," he answered.

"How…I dunno if I can trust you," Keith replied stopping next to the curb.

"I'm not making you do anything you don't want to, but I'm sure as hell not taking you back to Zak," he promised. Keith blinked slowly at him. His brain was having problems making judgments and decisions due to the alcohol. "C'mon," Thace sighed and gently guided Keith to his truck.


	19. Making things okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's always heartwarming when they make up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to title these chapters anymore

"He's…around here somewhere," Keith murmured as he wandered the dorm halls with Thace. 

     The other man followed him avoiding eye contact with people who passed him. Keith eventually stopped in front of a dorm and jiggled the handle. Pidge called from inside, but Keith was already pulling out his keys. They clanked as they fell to the floor and Keith bent down to pick them up. By the time he had the keys in front of the lock the door opened. His roommate gave him a disappointed look then she cringed at the smell, and then she noticed the other man with Keith.

"What's going on here? Why do you smell like alcohol? Who is that?" Pidge asked all at once.

"Where's Lance?" Keith blurted and rubbed at his eyes.

"Lance?" Pidge looked to Thace for answers.

"Uh…Keith is drunk…I drove him here," Thace supplied.

"Drunk? Why?"

"Where is Lance?" Keith repeated.

"I dunno. No one was here when I got back from class," Pidge answered. Keith groaned and rubbed the butt of his palm against his forehead.

"Why-hey! Come back!" Pidge called as Keith continued stumbling down the hallway. Thace looked between Pidge and Keith before going after his drunk acquaintance.

"Keith, why don't you take it easy? Wasn't that your dorm?" Thace asked holding on to his arm. Keith nodded.

"But Lance isn't there," Keith mumbled. "Let go of me, I'm fine," he insisted. Thace complied to Keith's request, but followed close behind him as he walked on. "He should be…here?" Keith squinted at the numbers on the door.

"Why do you need to see him?" Thace asked as Keith leaned and knocked on the door.

"Mmmmm…because…I need to tell him stuff," Keith replied and knocked slowly. "Laaaaaaaaance," he groaned and rested his forehead on the door. Soon it opened and Keith stumbled forward into Hunk's chest.

"Keith? What's going on?" He asked. His eyes connected with Thace. "And who is this?" 

"I was just…helping him?" Thace replied.

"Huuuuuuunk. Where is Lance?" Keith moaned and looked up at his friend. Hunk frowned.

"He's in class, where you should be too by the way. Why do you smell like alcohol?" He questioned.

"I found him on the curb with a bottle of whiskey," Thace told him. Keith turned around and lazily shushed him.

"Don't tell him that because he'll tell Lance that and then Lance will be worried and upset," Keith whispered.

"Keith, I can hear you," Hunk deadpanned. Keith looked back at him and shushed him too.

"Don't tell Lance because it'll make him worried and upset," he whispered again. Hunk shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Keith, but there's no way I'm not telling Lance," he said. Keith frowned and leaned his head on Hunk's chest again. Hunk looked back to Thace. "Thank you so much for bringing him here. I'll take care of him until he sobers up."

"That sounds like a good idea," Thace nodded. "Glad I could help."

"He feels soooorry for meeeeee," Keith hummed. Thace frowned and patted Keith's shoulder.

"Take care, dude," Thace told him. Keith giggled and looked at him.

"Tell that motherfucker that I have the bestest boyfriend ever and that I'm no one's bitch anymore," he grinned. Thace nodded.

"Will do, Keith," he assured him and started to walk away. Keith waved at him.

"Buh-bye!" He called as Hunk guided him into his dorm. Thace waved back, and continued walking away.

"Keith, what has gotten into you?" Hunk sighed as he sat the other man on Lance's bed. Keith giggled a little again, and Hunk closed the door.

"Did you know…that Lance didn't know we were dating…for a whole month?" He slurred. Hunk froze.

"Uh…Yeah. I did actually," he replied. Keith laughed and snorted.

"Did-did he tell you he tried to get _me_ to break up with _him_?" He chortled. Hunk gave Keith a sympathetic frown.

"Yeah…he did," he confirmed softly. Keith laughed a little longer before going quiet.

"He just told me…I feel kinda stupid," he confessed.

"Lance is the stupid one," Hunk told him. Keith shrugged.

"I dunno…I'm still not gonna break it off, but…" he sniffled a little. "It kinda hurts."

"I don't blame you," Hunk murmured and pulled out his phone to shoot Lance a text.

"I mean…it's obvious he loves me now, but why didn't he just tell me?" He mumbled.

"He didn't want to hurt you," Hunk said.

"Ugh…that's lame."

"I dunno. Think if he told you a month ago. Would you stay with him?" Hunk asked. Keith was quiet. A month ago? That felt so long ago. He scratched at his head.

"I don't think so…"

"The way he explained it to me was that he didn't want to see you upset. He said you go through so much, and he just wanted to make you happy," Hunk informed him. Keith was silent again. Another sniffle came from him and he looked up at Hunk with a pout.

"Really?" He whimpered. Hunk nodded. Keith wiped away his tears.

"That's so sweet of him…I don't deserve that," Keith murmured.

"Keith, you and Lance are both deserving of each other. You have no idea how shit his past relationships have been," Hunk said. Keith blinked up at him.

"How shit?"

"Pretty fucking shit, dude. There was one girl who told him her favorite time around him was when he wasn't talking," Hunk told him.

"He…never stops talking," Keith pointed out. Hunk nodded. "Oh."

"There was this other chick who totally fetishized him because he's Cuban. She'd call him an immigrant in bed and demand him to speak Spanish all the time."

"Geez."

"The only other guy he's been with besides you was a total beef cake. He had a bad case of the 'no homo' and only messed around with Lance in the dark."

"What the fuck…why? He's beautiful," Keith said. Hunk smiled a little.

"Lance has never had a real relationship like the one he has with you," Hunk announced. Keith took a moment to absorb that in his intoxicated brain.

"I haven't either…really," he mumbled. Hunk nodded.

"I think that Lance didn't realize you were taking him out on dates because he has never been taken out on a proper date before," Hunk said. That made Keith sadder. "And I think the reason he tried to get out of it was because he didn't know what to do when he actually cared for someone."

"Fuck…that's really sad," Keith said. He drew his knees up to his chest and looked down at the floor.

"Yeah. It was really sad, but then he realized just how important you were to him and it was like he was a changed man," Hunk recalled with a grin. Keith blushed.

"When was that?"

"He thought you were cheating on him with that guy that kissed you at Red Robin's, but when he found out who he really was…it changed his mind. He said he wanted to protect you and make sure you were safe. Lance has issues sorting out his own emotions, so it takes him a while to realize some stuff."

"Oh…" Keith smiled a little at the thought of Lance telling Hunk he wanted to protect him.

"Why don't you get some rest. It sounds like you're pretty tired," Hunk suggested. Keith nodded and laid himself down on Lance's bed.

"Thanks, Hunk," he murmured and enjoyed the smell of his boyfriend all over his blankets and pillows.

"No problem, buddy."

 

* * *

 

Hunk: your boyfriend is drunk and asleep on your bed btw

 

     There were ten minutes left of class when Lance checked his phone. He was surprised nonetheless to see Hunk's text, but he was also relieved to see the word boyfriend. It meant that Keith probably didn't hate him after what happened early.

     Once Keith had left Lance alone in his empty dorm, he figured actually going to class was the best option for himself. He had caught up on the lecture from an acquaintance he had in the class, and made sure to take thorough notes through the rest of it for Keith. His fingers ached from writing so much, but it helped dull the shitty feeling in his heart. His only hope was that Keith could forgive him for being so shitty before. He regretted everyday he didn't spend giving Keith the love and affection that he deserved. Needless to say Hunk's message gave him a little hope.

     Lance has never packed up so quick in his life. The moment Coran finished his lecture Lance's notebook was in his bag and he was off. His dorm was a little further from the campus than he'd like, so he ran across the courtyard and to the dorms to save time. It was even starting to snow, but he didn't care. When he finally got to his dorm Hunk was leaving and locking it behind him.

"Hunk!" Lance panted. His roommate turned around and blinked with a shocked expression.

"Lance? Why are you panting? Did you run over here?" Hunk asked. Lance nodded and bent over his knees to gasp for breath.

"Yeah…it's also snowing," he said.

"Oh how romantic," Hunk smiled. Lance chuckled and stood up straight again.

"How's Keith doing?" He asked.

"He's kinda napping right now. I think he's been talking in his sleep, but I've never heard him sleep talk before. It might be because of the alcohol," Hunk reported. Lance sighed.

"God…I feel so awful," he muttered and rubbed his palms into his eyes. Hunk gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't…believe it or not, you did the right thing," he assured him. Lance took a deep breath.

"It doesn't feel like it," he replied.

"Maybe you should have another chat with him first before you come to that conclusion," Hunk advised and patted his shoulder.

"Alright," Lance sighed pulling out his keys. Hunk nodded and started walking down the hall.

"I'll see you tonight," he said before leaving.

"See ya," Lance mumbled as he unlocked the door.

     The dorm was quiet and surprisingly peaceful. Lance made sure to be quiet as he closed the door, and then spotted Keith curled up on his lower bunk. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched his boyfriend stir under the covers and let out an exhausted sigh. He slowly approached the sleeping man and crouched down to look at him closer. His face was pinched with Asian flush, and there was still a faint smell of whiskey on him. He mumbled something, and Lance reached out to pull some of his hair out of his face.

"Mmm…" he moaned in comfort and moved his head against Lance's hand. A silent chuckle left Lance, and he caressed Keith's cheek with his thumb.

"Are you awake?" Lance asked.

"I dunno," Keith murmured and settled his head back against the pillow.

"You sound like you're awake," Lance replied lifting a brow. Keith immediately started to fake snore, and it caused Lance to laugh.

"Oh okay, I see I was mistaken," he teased. Keith opened one eye and then smiled.

"Lance," he hummed as he stretched.

"Keith," Lance replied and continued to fuss with Keith's hair.

"I missed you," he mumbled and settled back into the pillow.

"I missed you too, but you were the one who left," Lance reminded him. Keith sighed.

"I know…I'm sorry," he whimpered.

"It's okay. I hope it helped…being alone," Lance murmured. Keith shook his head.

"It was Hunk who helped me the most," he told him.

"Yeah…he's good at that," Lance nodded. He pulled his hand away from Keith's cheek to hold his hand instead.

"I love you," Keith spoke softly, but sincerely. Lance smiled.

"I love you too," he responded without hesitation.

"Can you come up here? I wanna be held," Keith whined. Lance chuckled.

"Okay, hold on," he let go of Keith's hand and stood up to slip off his shoes. He then took off his backpack and jacket, and finally joined Keith under the covers.

"You're cold," he complained.

"Well it started to snow and I ran across the whole campus to get here so…"

"Wait, you ran here all the way from the psych classroom?" Keith asked. Lance nodded and kissed his forehead.

"Yup. Hunk texted me saying you were drunk on my bed," Lance answered.

"You're such a good boyfriend," Keith sighed and nuzzled against his chest.

"You're a pretty good boyfriend yourself."

"You think so?" Keith inquired peeking up at Lance.

"Of course. You're the best partner I've ever had," he replied without thinking. Keith blushed and smiled.

"And…you're the best partner _I've_ ever had," he couldn't help but grin as he spoke. Lance leaned forward and rested his forehead against Keith's.

"Good. You deserve the best," he mumbled. Keith giggled and slipped his arms around Lance's neck.

"Y'know what I just remembered?" He whispered. Lance noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes, and narrowed his gaze.

"What?" He asked cautiously. Keith giggled again, still a little buzzed, and leaned closer to Lance's ear.

"You made me cum today," he breathed. Lance instantly turned bright red.

"O-oh…right," he stuttered. The memories were slightly embarrassing. Mostly because he confessed to wanting Keith to _finger_ him, but also because he didn't think he would get that far. In fact he didn't think he would get far at all, and was totally unprepared.

"The last time I came…was in _high school_ ," Keith spoke in a husky voice as a hand trailed down Lance's chest.

"R-really?" Lance stuttered. His heart was going crazy.

"It was before I started spending so much time with Zak, but…" Keith slid his hand down Lance's body and followed the path of his leg. "I was fingering myself," he whispered. Lance let out a shaky breath and gripped the small of Keith's back.

"You…you're still kinda drunk, Keith. This isn't the best time," Lance said. Keith kissed at his neck and hooked his leg over Lance's hip.

"I'm fine…I want you again," Keith spoke seductively against his pulse.

"Keith…n-no." Keith instantly stopped and then rested his head against Lance's chest.

"Sorry," He muffled. Lance blinked down at Keith and felt a little confused.

"Huh?"

"I dunno…I might be a horny drunk or something. I haven't really been conscious while intoxicated to tell, but…" he trailed off and sighed deeply. He then looked up at Lance and frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Keith…it's okay. Why don't you get some more rest, and then we'll see how you feel when you're sober," Lance said. Keith nodded.

"Okay…" he mumbled. Lance kissed the top of his head.

"I love you," he reminded him. Keith smiled.

"I love you too."


	20. That was cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for some pretty fluffy smut

     When Keith woke up he had a terrible headache. He also had problems remembering where he was, what day it was, what time it was, and what in the fuck happened. It took him a solid five minutes to realize he was pressed against Lance's back, and snuggling into his neck. Then it took him another three to realize he had slept in his binder again. A hoarse groan left his lips and he groggily pushed himself up.

"What…fuck," Keith sighed. 

     Lance was still fast asleep wrapped up in the blanket, but Keith's headache was distracting him from the pure and beautiful sight. Still he took a moment to appreciate his peaceful boyfriend. It was hard not too when he looked so comfortable and calm.

     As Keith attempted to tame his most likely messy hair his memory started to come back to him. He sighed again and let his head down in defeat. Whiskey? Really? And Thace? What the hell was that about? Why would he help Keith? Those questions only made his headache worse, so instead he focused on relieving his lungs.

     The worst thing you can do in a binder besides exercise is sleep in one, and Keith had a bad habit of just that. It wasn't that he was intentionally trying to damage himself, but it was more like he would always forget once he got comfortable. When he did remember he was already half asleep and didn't have the energy to wiggle out of such a tight garment. Now he had no choice. He could feel it constricting his lungs in a very uncomfortable way.

     He peeled off his shirt and took a deep breath. So far his only concern was getting it off, and he had no idea what he would do afterwards. Perhaps he would fall back asleep with Lance and not worry about it, or maybe his brain would finally wake up and he would scurry to his own dorm out of embarrassment. Either way the binder was coming off and there was no stopping it now. 

"Ah, fuck…" His hands and arms bumped against the top bunk as he pulled it off.

     Keith's groan in combination with the bang of his hand on the bed made Lance roll over and stretch. He yawned and then opened his eyes just as Keith pulled the binder over his head and his bare back was in view. The first thing Lance could think was _skin_ followed by _Keith_  and then _naked_. It was rather primitive and immature, but he had just woken up to see his boyfriend stripping in front of him. He sat up and rubbed one of his eyes in attempt to wake himself up. Unfortunately Keith was definitely awake now and scrambled to the other side of the bed.

"Shit!" He cursed and covered his chest with his arms. 

     While he had succeeded in getting away from Lance he failed to grab his binder and his shirt to cover himself again. Lance was still rather confused and blinked when he was done rubbing his eye. He noticed Keith's binder and shirt next to him and then how on edge Keith was.

"You okay?" Lance asked. He was starting to wake up after realizing how unsettled Keith was.

"S-sorry, I-I was just t-taking off my binder c-could you give it back?" He stuttered. Lance nodded and picked up both his binder and his shirt before coming closer to give it to him.

"What's wrong? You're like, shaking," Lance pointed out. Keith immediately covered his chest with his shirt, but was too close to Lance to actually fit the garment over his body.

"I-I just get really nervous with out my b-binder a-and I forgot to take it off before I-I fell asleep again," he stuttered more and tried to push himself further away. Lance gave him some space and nodded.

"That's…valid," he nodded. 

     Keith tried to take deep breaths and grabbed a small pillow to hold against his chest. Lance couldn't help but take notice to how nice Keith's collarbones looked…and his shoulders… and uninterrupted skin that he wanted to reach out and touch. He felt guilting thinking these things while Keith was shaking like a frightened dog in front of him, but he couldn't help it. He loved Keith, and he loved seeing new things no one else has seen before. At least no one in a long time. No one who was allowed to see it now. Keith swallowed hard.

"C-can you…cover your eyes, or…t-turn around or something?" He asked. Lance realized he was staring and blushed sheepishly.

"Of course," he replied and did both.

     With Lance faced away from him, Keith finally felt like he could breath. He took the pillow away and quickly tugged his shirt over his head. Although they weren't even medium sized at this point, his breasts felt like they were bulging out. He self consciously curled into his chest and hugged the pillow once more. Then he cleared his throat.

"Okay…you can look now," he announced. Lance turned back around and smiled at Keith.

"Hey," he said. His smile was infectious because even though Keith felt like a wreak he couldn't resist smiling back.

"Hey," he replied.

"How are you feeling?" Lance asked moving a little closer. Keith stiffened. "Is this okay?"

"Uh…y-yeah…I'm just…a little self conscious," he murmured. Lance nodded and stayed were he was. He was close enough to touch Keith's knee and lean closer to him.

"You know I love all of you, right? There's not a part of you or your body I would hate," Lance told him. Keith was silent for a moment and shifted his weight.

"I…I-I dunno…you haven't seen it all," he replied. Lance leaned even closer and managed to rest his forehead against Keith's.

"I don't have to see it to know I'd love it. Y'know why?"

"Why?" Keith breathed.

"Because I love _you_ ," Lance whispered. Keith shivered. "Can I come closer?" Keith nodded.

     Lance inched his body closer to Keith's. Their knees touched, and Keith jumped a little. He recovered quickly though and Lance was trailing his hands up Keith's thighs. His touch was always welcomed, but now Keith felt like his was ten times more sensitive without his binder for some reason. It was both good and bad because he was overly aware of his body, but Lance touching him made him feel so good.

"Can I touch your shoulders?" Lance asked. 

     Keith hesitated, but nodded. The tan man didn't hesitate to gently bring up his hands and settle them over Keith's shoulders. His fingers rubbed against the tense muscles and Keith's immediate response was to sigh contently and lean in. That made Lance smirk and run his hands over his neck and shoulder area.

"Can I touch your arms?" Lance asked. Keith giggled a little and nodded. He touched pale forearms wrapped around his pillow. Those arms shielded Keith's chest, and when Lance first touched them they tensed. "I won't try to pull them away," Lance promised. Keith nodded, took a deep breath, and then relaxed his arms. Lance smiled in response before gently brushing his knuckles against Keith's bicep.

"You're too good to me," Keith said with a smile. Lance shook his head.

"This is what you deserve," Lance told him.

     In that moment it occurred to Lance that no matter how many times he told Keith that, he wouldn't believe it for a long time. Possible years. The blissful look on his face now showed that he didn't care for what he did and didn't deserve. Instead he was focused on Lance, and it made him feel adored. Before he knew it he was grinning and blushing as Lance settled his hand against Keith's thigh again. Keith giggled and leaned his body forward to fit his lips with Lance's.

     They had shared many kisses before in their time together. They had experienced the soft and dopey ones, and the desperate and demanding ones. The sad and happy ones, and the warm and caring ones. Lance was amazed that there were still so many kisses he was yet to experience with Keith, and the thought of experiencing more made his heart flutter.

"I love you. All of you," Lance whispered after the kiss ended.

     Keith's eyes latched on to the soft pink flesh that were feeding him those words. A slight sound escaped his throat before he dived back in and kissed Lance again. He allowed one hand to let go of the pillow to touch him more, and cup the side of his face. It was obvious now to Lance after Keith's tongue pressed into his mouth that he had accidentally riled up his boyfriend, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it when his body instantly reacted. They broke off with heavy breathing, and Keith nipping at his lower lip. He couldn't help but smile.

"Was it something I said, or are you still horny from earlier?" He teased.

"A little bit of both," Keith breathed and leaned in again.

     This time Lance fell back on the bed. His hands quickly caught his fall, but now Keith was pressed against him between his legs. The pillow was stopping their chests from touching as Lance looked at how disheveled Keith was. He was blushing bright red, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Lance.

"S-sorry…I got a little…t-too excited," Keith stuttered. He started to get off, but Lance instantly reached for his arm to keep him still.

"It's okay. I like it," he said. Keith bit his lip and gently pushed Lance down until his back rested on his mattress.

"Yeah?" He asked, unsure. Lance nodded as he watched his boyfriend crawl closer between his legs. His hips then dropped and pressed against Lance. He gasped at the contact, and Keith turned even redder.

"Is this good?" He asked. Lance shifted in response and Keith rubbed against him again. A moan bubbled from his throat and he nodded.

"'S good," he muttered. 

     Keith ducked down and kissed Lance's neck. He moved his hand under Lance's thigh and pushed it up to hook his arm around. Lance allowed him to pull their bodies together and exposed more of his neck to be kissed. Then his skin was being sucked, and he let out an embarrassing loud moan and dropped his head back completely.

"Fucking Christ," Keith cursed. Lance turned bright red.

"S-sorry. I-I wasn't-" he was cut off when Keith roughly pushed their hips together. He dug his nails into his mattress and he moaned quieter.

"Everything about you is so amazing," Keith breathed and gyrated his hips. Lance whimpered and tried to wrap the leg in Keith's grasp around his waist, but his grip was so tight his leg was stuck there. That turned him on even more.

     When Keith finally pulled away from Lance's neck he looked down at the man underneath him. His flushed face and his eyes wide with arousal. Keith's shirt was baggy enough to disguise his chest, but he was past caring at this point. With the way Lance was looking at him he didn't care. Instead he batted the pillow away and adjusted his grip closer to Lance's hips. With both hands he tugged Lance's hips into his and groaned when they rolled back. Lance moaned.

     Without even thinking Keith pushed Lance's shirt up to expose his chest. He dropped his head and pressed kisses up and down his skinny tan torso and grinned at the sounds Lance was making. It was intoxicating, and his body was even more so. As Keith made his way back to Lance's lips he let go of those skinny legs. They immediately wrapped around Keith's waist and pushed him closer. He smiled and used his hands to hold himself up. Lance smiled back and wrapped his arms around Keith's neck.

"I love you," he said looking up at Keith in a way that made his heart melt. He leaned down with his forearms on either side of Lance.

"I love you too," he replied and kissed him.

"You're…incredible, y'know?" Lance murmured. His hand trailed down Keith's side and to the front of his jeans. Keith gasped and pushed himself back up. "You know that, right? You're absolutely breath taking."

     Keith's hips stuttered as Lance pressed into his clothed flesh. He moaned weakly and his arms trembled. When he looked back at Lance he was absolutely entranced by Keith's reactions. He panted and moaned again when Lance pulled his fingers back and then pushed them in again. His fingers rubbed against Keith creating a delicious friction that Keith found himself rutting against.

"Fuck…Lance," he breathed.

"Yeah?" Lance replied with a smirk. Keith then glared down at him. He the moaned loud and teasing.

"Oh Lance! You're fucking me sooo good! Yes!" He shouted with an even more smug grin. Lance turned bright red.

"Dude, shut up! The guys next door will never let this go," he hissed.

"These guys? Through this wall?" Keith asked touching the wall next to him. Lance's eyes widened.

"Don't you-"

"Oh, fuck _yes!_ " Keith cried and smacked the wall loudly.

"Keith!-"

"Keep doing _that!_ Oh yeah baby! Fuck me good!" He continued grinning.

"Stop-"

"Your dick is _sooo_ big! It feels so good in my-" Keith stopped as Lance pressed hard against his crotch again. His mouth hung open and Lance glared up at him.

"Shut up, seriously," Lance growled. Keith blinked at him and then closed his mouth. He then leaned down close to Lance and kissed him softly.

"I already came," he murmured and pulled his hand away. Lance groaned and dropped his head back. Keith chuckled and used his own hand to touch at the bulge in Lance's jeans. He instantly tensed up and glared at Keith.

"Keith-"

"But you didn't. That's not really fair," he whispered. He moved down to kiss Lance's still exposed stomach, and rubbed his crotch as he trailed down his chest.

"Keith," he whined. His navy eyes flashed up at Lance, and the look of absolute pleasure he received was more than satisfying.

"You should get to cum too. You made me feel so good, you deserve it," Keith murmured and continued kissing. Lance moaned as Keith's lips were just at the elastic of his boxers. His hand was still rubbing at an excruciatingly slow pace. He then looked up again and laid back on his stomach between Lance's legs.

"Have you ever thought of me sucking you off?" He asked. Lance went bright red. If that wasn't an answer in itself the unintelligible stuttered syllables that followed definitely was. Keith smirked.   
"I've thought about it…it would be fun," he spoke softly as he started to unzip his fly.

"W-wait-"

"You'd be really cute. Make all those cute sounds like you do," he continued regardless of Lance's warning. His chest heaved with how heavy he was breathing. He could barely even look at Keith at this point. "Wouldn't you like it?"

     If that didn't push Lance over the edge, the feeling of his tongue through his boxers definitely did His body tensed and he flung his head back. His hands gripped the mattress and he clenched his jaw in a pathetic attempt to censor the moans that flowed out of him. Keith watched the dark stain spread in his boxers and smiled. 

     After a minute or so Lance had finally recollected himself. He pushed himself up to see Keith's smug little smile. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"That was cute," Keith spoke first. Lance blushed.

"S-shut up," Lance stuttered.

"I mean all I did was lick you-"

"I know," he sighed letting his head down.

"You just totally-"

"I knooow," he groaned. Keith giggled and leaned forward to kiss him sweetly.

"We should do this again sometime," he murmured. Lance finally smiled back.

"I'd like that," he whispered and kissed him back. Then the door swung opened and they both looked over to see Shiro standing in the door frame.

"Some guy named Thace wants to talk to you," he told Keith. "He says he has a way to lock up Zak."


	21. Lock him up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thace is a man with a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of past abuse

     Shiro drove his car with Keith and Lance back to Red Robin. It was a good thing he did because Keith was in no position to drive or operate heavy machinery. He was a mixture of determination and nerves, and the only thing that made him stable was Lance's hand intertwined with his. Apparently Shiro had been trying to text and call Keith for a good hour before he drove over. Half of that hour he was asleep, and the other half he told Shiro he was "busy". It didn't take much to figure out what "busy" meant.

"You okay, Keith?" Shiro asked once they were parked in the Red Robin's parking lot.

"Trying," he replied squeezing Lance's hand in the back seat.

"If you ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable let me know and we'll kick him out," Shiro assured him looking back. Keith nodded.

"Kay," he muttered.

     They got out of the car and headed into the restaurant. It was dark, and the snow from earlier had piled up to a decent couple inches. The cold wind nipped at Keith's nose, and he was thankful that Lance lended him one of his jackets. It also smelled like him, but that was just an added plus. The warmth from inside sent a shiver up his spine before he settled in the heat and let out a deep breath. Thace sat in the middle of the empty restaurant with a drink and a half eaten basket of fries in front of him. The moment he saw Keith and Shiro he stopped drinking and stood up. His eyes wondered to Lance, and then settled on Shiro as the three of them approached the table.

"Thank you for waiting. Keith was asleep," Shiro spoke first. Thace nodded.

"That's understandable," he replied remembering the whiskey Keith drank earlier.

"Let's sit down and chat, shall we?" Shiro offered. The three other men nodded, and they all took a seat. Thace took a deep breath.

"You…you're probably wondering why I wanna rat Zak out," Thace started.

"Not really," Keith muttered. His arms were crossed over his chest to hide the fact that he didn't put his binder back on.

"I'm kinda wondering it," Lance said. Thace looked at Lance again.

"Are you Lance?" He asked. The skinny man perked up at his name and nodded.

"Yes, that's me," he confirmed. Thace held out his hand.

"I'm Thace. One of Zak's 'goons' I guess," he replied. Lance accepted his hand.

"Uh…how did you know my name?" He asked. Keith blushed and looked down to hide his face.

"I was the one who brought Keith home. He was drinking and he told me about you," Thace told him.

"Oh…"

"He said he needed to get back to you. I'm glad he found you. I think I left him with your roommate," Thace continued. Lance glance at Keith and then refocused on Thace.

"Yeah, that was Hunk. Thank you for returning him," Lance said. Thace nodded.

"Anyways…you said you have a plan to turn Zak in," Keith reminded them. He looked up still blushing, but focused regardless.

"Right, sorry."

"You said you wanted to talk to Keith specifically about this, and when I asked why you said you needed him," Shiro announced. Thace nodded.

"Yes. I-"

"What do you need me for?" Keith interrupted impatiently. Lance put a hand on Keith's back.

"It's okay. Stay calm," Shiro assured him. Keith took a deep breath.

"Well…Zak is making a deal really soon. It's a special deal he makes with another big gang in our area. He's been messing around with our chemist, we call her the witch,-" Keith tensed at the name. "-and they created some new dope. He's planning on being there in person for the exchange," Thace explained.

"What does this new drug do?" Shiro asked.

"It's a hallucinogen, and a strong one at that. A gram will start making you think you're on a roller coaster in space. This other gang we're working with has a special deal with us where whenever we make something new they get the first purchase," he continued.

"And Zak actually gonna be at the trade?" Keith asked. Thace nodded.

"It's behind one of his warehouses-"

"Which one?" Keith interrupted again. Thace paused for a moment out of surprise.

"The one on wicker street," he answered. Keith nodded in understanding.

"He took me there one time. That's where he grows his weed," Keith replied. Thace frowned.

"He brought you there?" He questioned. Keith hesitated for a moment, and Lance rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Yes…it was his first warehouse he ever bought, and he showed it off to me and asked if I was proud of him," Keith replied.

"Don't push yourself, Keith," Shiro spoke softly.

"It's fine," Keith mumbled.

"I'm really sorry to poke at old memories, but that's kinda what I'm askin' of you," Thace told them. Keith's eyes shot up to Thace.

"Explain yourself," he demanded.

"I've only been in the gang for a year or so, but recently I've learned that Zak goes fucking crazy at the mere mention of your name," Thace informed them.

"Which one?" Keith questioned bitterly. Thace sighed.

"You…you know which one."

"Typical."

"Why is that important though?" Lance asked.

"Because if just the thought of Keith makes him crazy, then imagine if Keith was _at_  the drug trade," Thace answered.

"No," Shiro answered immediately.

"Please, just hear me out-"

"I said _no_. Keith is not going anywhere _near_ that perverted criminal," Shiro insisted.

"Shiro-"

"It's okay, Keith. I won't let that happen-"

"Shiro, stop," Keith cut him off. It was silent between the four of them. Keith looked back at Thace and wetted his lips. "What were you thinking?" He asked. Thace glanced between Keith and Shiro who was glaring at him.

"I was thinking…that if you show up and rile him up, I could call the cops on him," he proposed.

"That doesn't work, he always talks his way out of the cops," Keith replied.

"Yeah, but this time I'm hoping he'll be too angry to pass off as innocent," Thace replied.

"Well that's not much to go on. Just a hope and a prayer?" Lance questioned.

"Not exactly…" Shiro muttered. The three other men looked at him and he sighed. "Keith has a restraining order on Zak. The least you can get him for is breaking the restraining order and assault assuming he'll lose his temper and touch Keith," Shiro explained.

"The whole operation would be shut down if he got arrested," Thace nodded.

"And after they bring him in for breaking a restraining order and add on assault and drug trafficking he'll definitely be put away for a long time," Lance added.

"That's…actually a good plan," Keith said. "Are you not apart of the trade?" He asked Thace. He shook his head.

"They don't trust me to be on site. I've been questioning Zak's past too much," he replied.

"For good reason," Keith grumbled. Shiro sighed.

"Well…what do you think?" He asked Keith. The short man shifted uncomfortably in his seat and bit his lip.

"…I think it's a good plan," he said quietly.

"I agree, but are you comfortable doing that? Are you okay with seeing him again and risking your safety?" Shiro questioned. Keith was quiet for a moment, and stared at Thace.

"If I do this…he's gone for good. He'll be locked up for life, and I'll never have to worry about him again. Right?" He asked. Thace nodded.

"He's the leader of a drug ring. If he's exposed anywhere he's sure to be locked up for life," Thace confirmed. Keith gnawed on his lower lip again.

"I know Zak…he probably knows about Lance, doesn't he?" Keith said. Thace nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah…"

"I'll do it, but you have to make sure Lance is safe the whole time."

"What?" Lance asked.

"Zak knows Keith is dating you, and…he's ridiculously jealous," Thace explained.

"He hasn't changed at all," Keith murmured.

"H-how does he know about me? D-did he see us together somewhere?" Lance inquired nervously. Thace grimaced at the memory of Zak drunkenly spewing his reports on the couple.

"…something like that," he confirmed.

"God, he's disgusting," Keith muttered.

"I'll make sure Lance is safe," Thace assured him. Keith took a deep breath.

"Keith…please think about this," Shiro pleaded. "He is dangerous. He could hurt you… _kill_ you even."

"I know…" Keith replied. "I'll do it."

"Keith-"

"It's okay if you don't want to," Thace assured him.

"I _need_ to," Keith insisted.

"Keith," Lance spoke softly. "Are you sure?" Keith looked over at his boyfriend.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"The trade is in two days at midnight. I'll take you a block away from the warehouse and you can walk up there. Then I'll be in the warehouse watching and making sure you're okay," Thace told him. Keith turned his attention back to Thace and nodded.

"Right."

"All you need to do it talk to him and make him upset. You probably know him better than me, so whenever you can predict about ten or fifteen minutes before he blows up you should give me some type of signal so I can call the police."

"I could tuck my hair behind my ear," Keith offered. Thace nodded.

"That's a good one. After that the police will arrive and arrest him. The drug trade will blow over, and either me or the police will give you a ride home," Thace finished.

"What about Lance?" Keith asked.

"Huh?"

"What about me?" Lance asked quietly.

"You said you'd keep him safe. I'm surprised Zak hasn't tried to talk to him still," he said.

"I'll stay with Lance," Shiro offered.

"Wait wait…I feel like I should be there too," Lance announced.

"No," Keith said instantly.

"I need to make sure you're safe too. You'll be in more danger than me and _I'm_ the one you're worried about?"

"Yes because I care about you, Lance," Keith argued.

"I care about you too. I want to make sure you're okay and be there for you once it's all over," Lance responded. Keith furrowed his brows and shook his head.

"Lance, I can't risk you being there. What if he finds you? What if he starts to threaten _you_."

"Thace calls the cops immediately and we stall him," Lance said simply.

"Lance, it's not that easy. He knows what you are to me. He'll go fucking nuts if he even knows you're nearby," Keith told him.

"Wait…we can use that," Thace said. Keith glared at him.

"Don't you dare," he growled.

"No no, listen. If Zak somehow composes himself and manages to convince the cops he's innocent,  _Lance_ could be the trigger that blows him over," Thace said.

"No, I can't risk that," Keith persisted.

"Please, Keith, let me help you," Lance begged. Keith groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"I'm not gonna let you risk your life for me!"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't _lose you_ , Lance." Lance pulled his hand away and Keith looked at him.

"How do you think I feel? You're the only person I've ever loved. I can't lose you either," Lance told him. Keith's bottom lip trembled, and he took a shaky breath.

"Lance-"

"I want this guy locked up and as far away from you as possible just as much as you do. Please. Let me help," he murmured softer. Keith sighed and leaned his forehead against Lance's.

"Okay…" he finally agreed. Lance pulled some of his hair out of his face and caressed his cheek with his thumb.

"I'll make sure you're safe as long as you make sure I'm safe," Lance whispered. Keith nodded.

"Yeah."

"Uh…so Lance will be with me the whole time too?" Thace asked. Keith pulled away from Lance and blinked at Thace. He then nodded after coming to his senses.

"Yes…that sounds about right," he confirmed.

"Okay. I'll make sure he's okay while he's with me, and he'll be the back up if Zak can managed to talk his way out of the cops around you," Thace recapped. Keith nodded.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

"I'll meet you and Lance here Friday night at eleven thirty, and then I'll take you down to the warehouse."

"Okay," Keith nodded.

"Is there anything I can do?" Shiro asked. Thace nodded.

"Gather any other people who matter to Keith and keep them here and safe. Zak undoubtedly has done his homework and kept up with assignments. He probably knows everything about Keith," Thace told him.

"Pidge and Hunk…" Keith mumbled. Shiro nodded.

"I'll keep them here and safe," he replied.

"Good. I'll text you updates when I can," Thace told him. Shiro nodded.

"That makes me feel better."

"I know this is a lot to ask, but this is the easiest way I can think of to bust him. Thank you all for agreeing to this," Thace said. Lance and Shiro nodded and Keith stared at the table.

"It'll be worth it once he's gone," Keith spoke.

"It will," Thace agreed.

"Well, I can tell Keith needs more rest. We'll keep in touch over the next couple days, but for now these guys need to get home," Shiro said. Thace nodded and they all stood up.

"Thank you for helping me. It's been hell finding out the horrible things he's done to Keith," Thace said. Shiro nodded and they shook hands.

"It's been hell for all of us. That man never brings anything good," Shiro agreed. Thace looked to Keith and they made eye contact.

"You really didn't deserve anything he did to you," Thace said. Keith sat looking at the other man without a word. His arms still covered his chest and he blinked.

"I know."


	22. Take me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions are spilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of past sexual abuse

     It felt like they were stuck in limbo. Keith couldn't focus on anything else but the trade, and it was evident. He wasn't paying attention in class, and he was slacking off at work. It had only been a day since Thace told them about the plan, and after the next night he wouldn't have to worry about it again. Until then he was a bit of a nervous wreak who needed some cuddles as soon as possible. He had texted Lance well before his shift ended, and when it did he immediately went to his dorm.

     Hunk was with Pidge. Usually whenever Lance and Keith wanted to be alone he'd join her and play video games or something. It actually wasn't often that they wanted to be alone though. Keith enjoyed Hunk's company and liked hearing about his culinary course and classes. But tonight his short replied must've told Lance he was on edge still and needed some quiet time. He walked in to see Lance shaving with his bathroom door open. The tan man looked over as Keith closed the door.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you'd be a bit longer," Lance said. He ran his razor over the last bit of unshaven skin and rinsed it out.

"'S okay," Keith mumbled and set his bag down by the door.

"How are you feeling? You seemed kinda upset over text," he noticed and wiped off his face. Keith walked over and leaned against the door frame. He sighed and crossed his arms.

"I dunno…I'm tired and I'm nervous still," he told him. Lance nodded and let the water out of the sink.

"Yeah, that's understandable. I've kinda been on edge too," Lance turned to his boyfriend and gave him a warm kiss. He pulled back with a smile and rubbed Keith's shoulders comfortingly. Keith smiled back and pulled him closer. Their lips messily met again, and Lance giggled before correcting the position.

"How was your day?" Keith asked. He settled his hands on Lance's waist while the latter around Keith's neck.

"Mmm…well my lit teacher yelled at me for being distracted, and then my child development teacher pulled me to the side and asked if I was okay because I kept dozing off," Lance reported. Keith chuckled.

"Did you take your medicine today?"

"No, I forgot."

"That's understandable," Keith hummed. 

     Lance dragged his hands down from Keith's neck over his chest. His eyes followed his hands. He could feel the material of his binder rub against his shirt as it moved. He rubbed his thumb against Keith's chest and looked back up at him.

"How long have you been wearing it?" Lance asked. Keith looked down at Lance's hands.

"Uh…I wore it to class, and then took it off between then and work," he answered.

"How long is that?"

"Probably…nine hours."

"How long should you be wearing it?" Lance continued.

"…eight," Keith answered quietly.

"I'll leave, and you can take it off in the bathroom, okay?" Lance told him. Keith wanted to protest, but instead nodded. "Good," he leaned in and kissed Keith shortly before stepping out.

     Keith closed the door, and his hands immediately started shaking. First he pulled off his shirt, and then his fingers paused at the hem of his binder. He took a deep breath as he remembered what Lance told him last night. His comforting words circled in his head again, and he took another deep breath. Finally, he wiggled out of the garment and returned his shirt over his body. He held his binder close to his chest and took a few more collective breaths. Then he opened the door again and found Lance sitting in his singular chair. Their eyes met and Keith was beyond red.

"I-I…took it off," he stammered. Lance smiled and set his phone to the side.

"I can't even tell," Lance replied. Keith rolled his eyes and stood awkwardly by the door frame. Lance stood up and walked up to him. 

"Hey." Keith looked up. "I love you."

"I love you too," he responded immediately.

"C'mon. You look tired," Lance said nodding his head in the direction of his bed. 

     Keith alowed him take his hand and guide him to the bottom bunk. He let Keith crawl in first, and quickly followed. They faced each other, and Keith's binder was long forgotten on the floor. Lance smiled as Keith gave him gentle touches and caresses around his face. That caused Keith to smile back a little and run his thumb over Lance's lips.

"I don't want tomorrow to come," he murmured. Lance was quiet for a moment. He tucked Keith's hair behind his ear and cupped his cheek.

"I don't want it to either," he replied.

"I want him gone…but I want it to be over," Keith said. Lance nodded.

"That makes sense." Keith sighed and touched Lance's lip again.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," he whispered.

"Like what?" Lance asked quietly.

"This…warm and together. Safe and alone," Keith mumbled. Lance smiled a little and moved a little closer.

"I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with you," he murmured and leaned in to kiss him. Keith accepted his lips and smiled. He pulled Lance even closer and pressed their foreheads together.

"I wouldn't mind that either."

"What kinda dog would we get?"

"Something thats quiet and doesn't ruin furniture," Keith replied. They both laughed.

"Maybe a small dog then. Like a toy poodle, a pug-"

"What are those dogs that have ridiculously long fur? Pomegranates?" He interrupted. Lance laughed.

"Oh my god, are you talking about Pomeranians?"

"Sure. They look really cute," Keith said. Lance nodded.

"Yeah, sure. We can get a couple of those," he allowed.

"And a cat. They're sweet once they get older."

"So we just have to wait through it's asshole phase?" Lance questioned raising a brow.

"They're always fun to play with at that time," Keith supplied. Lance chuckled and slowly shook his head.

     There was silence between them again. It wasn't awkward or sad. Instead it was heavy and it was pensive. Keith's smile faded a little as he touched and memorized Lance's features. His heart ached for the man in front of him, and he couldn't resist feeling his smooth skin and favoring every moment they had together. Lance enjoyed the warmth from Keith's fingers, and touched higher on his chest. He played with the collar of Keith's shirt, and his heart filled up every second he could see that lovestruck look on his face. Surely he was making the same expression, but either way he loved the way Keith looked at him. For a minute he didn't want to move so he could remember the way he looked like forever. After that all he wanted to do was kiss him.

"You mean so much to me," Keith whispered. Lance bit his lip. "I don't wanna lose you."

"You're not going to lose me. I promise you I'll always be with you," Lance said. Keith nodded, and Lance's fingers curled in his hair.

"I don't wanna sleep," he said. Lance nodded.

"I don't want to either."

"What do you want?" Keith asked. Lance looked down to his lips and then leaned in to kiss him gently.

"I want you," Lance whispered.

     Keith rolled them over so he was on top between Lance's legs. The skinny man let out a short surprised moan that was immediately muffled by Keith's lips. He adjusted his arms around Keith's neck, and kissed him back full force. Their bodies fit together perfectly. Like two pieces in a set made specifically for each other. Kissing was pure bliss, and feeling the closeness and the heat made Keith's head spin. This is what he has always wanted. Intimacy.

     So he drew it out. His lips working slowly and languidly against Lance's while slowly running his hands over his body. He felt his waist and his thighs and touched under his shirt all while unraveling him through their tongues. Lance was a moaning mess, and pushed his body into Keith's hands. Between kisses he was nothing but heavy breathing and cute moans. It all went to Keith's head and between his legs, and it fueled him to touch him more, to make him feel _amazing_. Lance wrapped his legs around Keith's waist, and Keith kissed down his neck. Those soft devilish lips pressed against his pulse and down his throat. Lance exposed his neck as much as he possibly could for Keith to kiss and mark and make his.

     Then Lance sat up. It took Keith slightly by surprise, but he was quickly mollified as they continued to kiss. They were chest to chest, and it made Keith a little nervous. Lance touched around his waist and hooked his arms around to run his fingers over Keith's shoulder blades. He grabbed at the material of his shirt, and kissed him with even more want and desperation.

     When Lance pulled back he quickly started to pull at his own shirt, and Keith helped him. His mind was filled with Lance and how beautiful he looked intertwined with him half naked. He bit his lip and trailed his hands down that perfect cinnamon skin. His heart was full of emotion and it raced as Lance bent his body into Keith's touch again like before. The skinny man wrapped his arms around Keith's waist, and he played with the hem of his shirt. He looked at Keith with pleading eyes.

"Is there a chance…you could take it off too?" Lance whispered. 

     Keith blinked at him. It had occurred to him just then that no one had simply asked to take off his shirt. Zak and his previous attempt to date again both merely ripped it off as they pleased. But Lance…Lance was asking permission. Like he always does. All this time Keith was worried that in the heat of the moment would somehow leave him shirtless, but it appeared he feared for nothing. He couldn't speak, and he could barely breathe as he looked at Lance with watery eyes.

"It's okay if you wanna keep it on, but…" Lance trailed off and brought a hand up to Keith's shoulder. "I like seeing your skin…" he murmured.

"I…yes…but…" Keith stammered and trailed off. The adoring and patient look in Lance's eyes when he looked from Keith's shoulders back to him was all he could ever want. His breath trembled and he cleared his throat. "Yeah…"

     There was a moment of silence between them before Keith finally did something. He leaned away and reached back to slowly pull his shirt over his head. It combed his hair over his face, and he kept it over his shoulders for a moment. Lance giggled and then pushed the black locks out of Keith's face. They made eye contact and smiled. Keith then looked down at the last barrier between his body and Lance, and took a deep breath.

"If you don't want to, it's okay," Lance assured him. Keith shook his head.

"Sex is…not exactly special, but…it means a lot more to me than the average person," Keith murmured. Lance nodded.

"For good reason," he agreed.

"It's difficult, and it shows a really vulnerable side of me. It's…not something I do at all really…" Keith trailed off and looked up at Lance. His eyes were ever so patient and focused and concerned. It made a tear fall down Keith's cheek. "…but I can't think of any other person I trust with my body more than you," he said.

"Keith…" Lance trailed his hand down to intertwine with Keith's.

"Can we have sex? Like…a-all the way? I feel like it'll help me with tomorrow," Keith said. Lance nodded.

"We can do anything you want," he replied and cupped the back of his neck. Keith nodded.

"I dunno…it just feels like I'll finally be completely disconnected with him if we do, and…I guess in a way this'll be my first time."

"Yeah?"

"Zak…I was always doped out or unconscious, and anything before and after was like…foreplay or whatever," Keith explained.

"Oh."

"Yeah, so…" Keith trailed off and looked down at his shirt still covering his chest and arms. He slowly pushed it down to expose his pale skin, and finally tossed it to the side. At first he felt like he couldn't breathe, but as he took deep breaths, and Lance rubbed his thumb against his nape, he eventually managed to look him in the eyes. "Will you take my virginity? Please?" He whispered to Lance.

"Is that even a real question?" Lance breathed. 

     They both laughed a little, and Lance leaned in to kiss him. His arms returned around Keith's neck and the momentum of his kiss pushed them back. Keith merely pushed back and wrapped his arms around Lance's waist again. Once again they were chest to chest, and while it was a little nerve wracking, Keith had never felt so comfortable with another human being. He smiled so big their kiss was interrupted, and they giggled again.

"I love you, Keith," Lance murmured against his lips. Keith grinned and pressed him closer.

"I love you too, Lance."


	23. Sappy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerves

     Peace. That was all Keith could feel. That and perhaps maybe bliss, but it wasn't the pure bliss and pleasure he had felt earlier. In fact he had never felt so amazing in his life. It wasn't like he had imagined it, but that was probably a good thing. He was expecting something a lot different. Awkward, or difficult to get started. He thought he would be too broken to just do it, but the moment he felt Lance inside of him he knew it was meant to be. If he was broken he wasn't broken anymore.

     Lance was fast asleep, and Keith was quickly following. He was focused on his boyfriend's heart beat, and his even breaths. It made him feel even more relaxed. They were sprawled out on Lance's bed in absolutely nothing. Their warm bodies pressed together with no fear and no anxiety between them. All Keith could feel was absolute tranquility. He wrapped his arms snugly around Lance's waist and they fell into a deep slumber together. It was the best sleep Keith had gotten in ages.

     When Lance woke up, he was greeted with the sight of Hunk eating cereal on their singular chair. He blinked a couple times, and then yawned and stretched. Hunk was too focused on his Chex to care, but Keith immediately shifted against Lance. The tan man smirked and turned to face his boyfriend. Keith was still very much asleep, and Lance didn't have the heart to wake him up yet. The expression on his face was so undisturbed and peaceful, and Lance just took a moment to appreciate it.

"It's almost nine o'clock, guys. You might wanna think about getting up for your ten o'clock class together," Hunk announced. Keith moaned tiredly and nuzzled into Lance to block out the noise. Lance chuckled and the arm around his waist tightened.

"Or not. I don't care. I'm taking culinary courses and the most I can do is make myself cereal. Get fucked, me, amiright?" Hunk muttered to himself.

"We'll be up soon, Hunk," Lance told him.

"Do I need to leave? I see clothes everywhere and I have a feeling you two aren't wearing pajamas," Hunk said. Lance turned his upper body, and Keith groaned quietly in protest.

"Yeah, that would be appreciated," Lance nodded. Hunk sighed.

"I'll go put more honey on my cereal," he replied.

"We'll join you when we're up," Lance said. Hunk nodded and then left Keith and Lance alone in the dorm. Once he was gone Lance turned back to Keith and was met with a satisfied sigh.

"We have class soon," Lance whispered. Keith shook his head and simultaneously snuggled against Lance. It was incredibly endearing.

"C'mon," Lance patted his shoulder. Keith tilted his head up and blinked at Lance.

"What…" he mumbled.

"Time to get up. We have class in an hour," he told him again. Keith furrowed his brows.

"'t's friday?" He questioned and rubbed at his eyes.

"Yes. It's Friday," Lance replied. Keith shook his head.

"No…'t's still Thursday," he mumbled and started kissing Lance's neck.

"I wish," Lance chuckled. Keith pulled Lance closer by his waist and scrapped his teeth over his collarbones.

"Let's do it again," he mumbled. Lance hesitated. It was a rather tempting offer. "One more time," Keith whispered and kissed up his boyfriend's neck.

"Keith, we have class in less than an hour," he reminded him. Keith rubbed his thumb against Lance's ribs, and then trailed his hand down to hook under his knee. He hooked Lance's legs around his hip.

"Don't care," he breathed and touched more of Lance's body.

"You cared a couple days ago," Lance pointed out. His brain was barely holding on to logic, but Keith's hands and mouth were getting more and more persuasive.

"That was a couple days ago. When I was a virgin," Keith responded and cupped his ass. Lance bit his lip and allowed Keith to continue.

"They say sex can change a man," Lance hummed.

"Good sex can," Keith agreed. He moved his hand over Lance's hip and teased around the base of his cock. Lance shivered. "I want you again. Now," Keith sighed as he continued kissing beautiful tan skin.

"H-how demanding," Lance stuttered. Keith wrapped his hand around his length and gently stroked. Lance was well past half hard at that point.

"You're so irresistible," Keith replied. Lance let out a shaky breath, and Keith continued snacking on his neck.

"Class…we gotta go…," Lance trailed off into a soft moan as Keith twisted his wrist with his strokes.

"Sex now, think later," Keith said.

"A-ah…Keith," Lance muttered.

     The next thing he knew Keith bouncing on his lap with his lips all over his chest. It surprised Lance just how quickly Keith managed to get Lance inside him without even stretching himself. He was doing most, if not all, the work while Lance could only helplessly roll his hips in response. His body was enslaved to Keith, and in that moment all he could think of was letting his boyfriend do as he pleased with it. The pleasure of being inside him mixed with his lips on Lance's chest could only be described as utter perfection. He trailed his nails down Keith's back and pressed his head back against the pillow. Soft moans escaping his throat while the sound of Keith's deep groans filled him with even more bliss.

     Eventually, he came. Keith took a little longer, and Lance had enough sense to lick his fingers and stroke Keith's growth as he milked Lance for everything he had. He finished too, and they laid on Lance's bed together in silence as they collected their breath. Keith pushed himself up and off of Lance, and plopped down to kiss all over the marks starting to pop up. Lance chuckled and ran his fingers through Keith's hair.

"I didn't think you'd do that," Lance said. His voice was raspy, and spent from all the heavy breathing and moaning.

"Do what? Morning sex?" Keith questioned.

"Well last night was pretty emotional. I wasn't expecting something so…"

"Purely sex?" Keith pulled back and smiled. Lance ruffled his bed head.

"Yeah. I mean, last night we were both super cautious. Like 'is this okay?' and 'oh was that not okay?' and stuff, but that was pretty spontaneous," Lance explained. Keith's smile dropped and his eyes widened.

"Shit, I should've asked you if that was okay," Keith cursed. He let his head down on Lance's chest, and the tan man merely laughed.

"Keith, you don't always need a verbal yes from me. It's fine," Lance assured him. Keith looked up.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean if I'm not physically stopping you it means I don't want you to stop," Lance replied and moved closer to kiss him.

"But…you didn't say yes."

"I don't always need to," Lance said. He sat up, and Keith sat back. "Keith, I trust you. We're together, and I know you're never gonna force me to do something I don't want to. I don't always need to say yes because most likely you won't need to ask me."

"Are you sure?" Keith asked furrowing his brows. Lance grinned and cupped his face to pull him into another kiss.

"I'm positive," he murmured. "Now let's get dressed and get some breakfast. Hunk is at the cafeteria, and if he hasn't figured out what we've been doing by now we might have a chance to trick him."

"I doubt that," Keith replied.

"Not with that bed head," Lance teased and ruffled his hair again. Keith shook his head out of Lance's grasp. Lance chuckled and moved the hair from his face to peck him on the lips.

"It's not that bad, is it?" He asked quietly.

"It's terrible."

 

* * *

 

     The difference between that morning and their current situation was more drastic than night and day. Keith's shift was ending, and his professor sent a mass email telling everyone class was canceled after that. Lance still had a class going on, and he was too paranoid and anxious to drive back to his dorm. Shiro was busy with the dinner rush, so Keith was stuck outside the front of the restaurant. It was freezing, and he huddled into his jacket as he paced back and forth. He wished it was still Thursday.

     Before he could get too into his head his phone went off in his back pocket. His fingers trembled as he pulled off the thumb from one of his gloves and checked the caller ID. He smiled at Lance's name and immediately answered he call.

"H-hey," he stuttered, his teeth barely chattering.

"Hey, you okay?" Lance asked noticing his stutter. Keith laughed a little.

"Honestly n-no, b-but I'm st-tuttering b-because it's f-fucking freezing outside," he told him.

"Where are you? Why aren't you inside?" His voice was earnest and worried, and that made Keith feel a little better that Lance cared about something so small.

"I'm at work still. T-too stimulated to go inside, a-and t-too anxious to drive back," Keith replied.

"Are you still worried about tonight?" Lance inquired in a softer voice.

"Y-yeah."

"Hold on tight. I'll be right there," Lance told him.

"Y-you seriously d-don't need to come over. I-I'll just wait unt-til Shiro c-can-"

"Too late, I'm already on my way. See you soon," Lance said before hanging up. Keith sighed and returned his phone in his pocket. He fixed his glove over his thumb again and sat down on one of the benches.

     While anxiety affected Keith quiet a bit, it was rare that I would affect his driving or ability to function. Thanks to Shiro and counseling, Keith had figured out how to keep it under control for the most parts. There were few times he actually couldn't do something because of his anxiety, and the main thing that triggered it was, well, Zak. The fact that he was mere hours from seeing him again, _hearing_ him again, having to be within a hundred feet of again…it didn't sit well with him. Logic was telling him this would benefit him in the long run if it was successful, but his brain nagged at him about the chance that it wasn't. He said he'd let Lance help, but he still wished he would stay at Red Robin's with Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge. 

"F-fuck!" Lance stuttered as he ran up to Keith on the bench. The pale man was ripped from his thoughts and looked up at Lance.

"Oh-"

"Y-you weren't kidding, i-it's fucking freezing," Lance panted.

"Y-yeah-"

"C'mon, lets g-get you home," Lance said tugging on his sleeve. Keith got up and quickly lead Lance to his car.

"Y-you got here quick," Keith noticed.

"I-I ran after I hung up. Gimme your keys." 

     Keith handed over his keys and Lance unlocked the car. They both crawled inside and Lance started it up to get the heater going. It was too cold for either of them to stop their teeth from clattering much less have a decent conversation, so they waited for the car to warm up. Lance rubbed his hands together and Keith offered some warmth of his own. His hands were warmer because he had them in his pockets, and Lance didn't have as many layers since he was running. Eventually after Keith crawled over and sat in his lap to warm him up, Lance was finally at a decent temperature. He nuzzled against his boyfriend's neck and curled his fingers in black strands.

"How are you feeling?" Lance asked quietly. Keith pulled back a little and rested his head against Lance's temple.

"I have this awful feeling in my gut," he murmured.

"Me too."

"I don't want you to come tonight," Keith sighed and shifted so his body was even closer to Lance.

"I know."

"What if he kills you…he'll kill you, Lance. He could pull a gun on you and just…" Keith trailed off and buried his face in Lance's neck again. Lance comfortingly rubbed his back.

"I don't know…" Lance replied.

"He's taken so much from me. Just the thought of him taking you too…I can't," Keith said.

"Keith…"

"I know you don't wanna lose me either, but…goddammit, Lance," he tightened his hold on the skinny man. "I love you so much."

"I love you…I want you to be safe too…and I want Zak to be gone so you never have to worry about him again," Lance whispered.

"I'm so sorry for dragging you into this," Keith whimpered.

"You didn't drag me into anything," Lance assured him.

"I really thought he was out of my life when I met you…I thought he was gone for good," Keith continued.

"It's not your fault."

"You're too forgiving," Keith muttered. Lance gently pushed Keith back to look at him and cupped his cheek.

"Shut up," he said. Keith furrowed his brows.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" He asked. Lance rolled his eyes.

"No, I mean stop thinking too much. Just relax, and let me hold you, okay?" Lance said. Keith blinked at him.

"I…I can't," he said.

"Sorry. I know it's not that easy for you, but…don't think I'm upset with you in anyway. I don't blame you for this. It's a shitty situation, yeah, but I'm being completely honest when I say I'd rather be there with you than off to the side waiting to hear either good or bad news," Lance said. Keith sighed and looked down. Lance lifted his chin and their eyes reconnected. "I'm not gonna let you go that easily."

"Now you're just being a sap," Keith muttered blushing. Lance chuckled and leaned in to kiss him.

"I'm allowed to be a sap. I'm your boyfriend," he hummed. Keith smiled.

"Yeah…mine," Keith whispered and kissed him back.

"Now look who's being the sap," Lance accused.

"I'm possessive. Sue me," Keith replied. Lance laughed and threaded his finger through Keith's hair again.

"I'd never sue you. I love you too much," Lance grinned.

"Are you trying to out-sap me?" Keith asked.

"Not trying. I'm just more sickeningly romantic than you," Lance answered.

"I highly doubt that," Keith said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What makes you say that?" Lance challenged clasping his hands around Keith's waist.

"The fact that I got drunk because I was lovesick over you and immediately wanted to go back to you," Keith responded leaning even closer. He ended his sentence with a short kiss that Lance broke with a smile.

"Oh yeah? Tell me more about that," he promoted. Keith giggled and wrapped his arms around Lance's neck.

"I told Thace I needed to get back to you when I probably should've been more worried about the class I was missing," Keith told him. Lance chuckled.

"Eh. It wasn't that special," he told him.

"The whole car ride I kept telling him how much I loved you and didn't wanna let you go," Keith continued.

"You're killing me," Lance said and pushed Keith closer against his body. Keith giggled, and started sliding off his jacket.

"I have dreams about you…about us," he murmured. His tone dropped as he shed his outer layer and exposed his maroon sweater. Lance's eyes dropped to his less covered chest. "Together…really close together."

"How close?" Lance asked barely above a whisper. Keith slowly peeled off his sweater and leaned closer again in his long sleeved shirt.

"So close…" he kissed Lance. "I could feel your heart beating next to mine."  
"That's pretty cheesy," Lance murmured. His lips against Keith's as he spoke. "But I'll do you one better."

"Oh yeah?"

"I woke up in the middle of the night last night, and you felt so perfect pressed against me. I didn't wanted to go back to sleep because I never wanted to forget how amazing it feels just to be close to you."

"Fuck you," Keith sighed and immediately started kissing him. Lance accepted his lips and gripped his hips.

"I…win," Lance stated proudly between kisses.

"Seriously, fuck you…" Keith panted. Lance chuckled and leaned his forehead against Keith's.

"Love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scream at me
> 
> Snapchat: ksenialynns
> 
> Twitter: @n0t_an_artist
> 
> Tumblr: fryingpanss.tumblr.com


	24. Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's happening, isn't it?

     Without Lance, Keith surely would've been a complete mess. He had totally forgotten to tell Hunk and Pidge about this whole situation. It was when he was almost falling asleep on Lance's bed did he realize this only to be pacified when Lance assured him he told them. Needless to say Keith was on edge the entire drive back to Red Robin's. Thace was there waiting with Shiro, and if that wasn't the last seal of Keith's fate then he didn't know what was. All that was going through his head was _oh god this is actually happening_. He clenched his hands into fists as he stood in front of Thace.

"The boys are already on the move. Haxus is teasing me over text, and last word from Sendak was they're thirty minutes from the warehouse. That was ten minutes ago," Thace informed him. Keith took a deep breath.

"We're about twenty minutes from the warehouse. I looked it up," Keith replied. Thace nodded.

"Sounds like we should be going now," Lance said. The two other men nodded.

"This is crazy. I'm not gonna be able to think for like an hour," Pidge mumbled.

"Stay safe, my dude," Keith said patting her shoulder.

"Y-you too! You guys are the ones in real danger," Hunk pitched in. Keith nodded, but Lance merely clapped him on the back.

"Pfff! Don't worry about me, buddy," Lance said with a grin. Hunk frowned at him.

"Then I'll worry about Keith instead," he deadpanned. Lance rolled his eyes and gave Hunk a hug. It wasn't a quick hug, and Hunk happily hugged him back.

"Come back safely, Lance. You're gonna change a lot of people's lives and you can't skip out on them," Hunk said.

"I will," Lance replied. They released their embrace, and Lance hugged Pidge after that.

"You make sure Hunk doesn't pass out, okay?" Lance told her.

"Only if you make sure Keith doesn't get taken away by a criminal," she muttered. They laughed a little and Lance returned next to Keith. The pale man stood awkwardly, uneducated on how to give hugs to anyone except for Lance, and cleared his throat.

"You're so awkward," Pidge said and immediately wrapped her arms around his waist.

"C'mere, you precious child," Hunk said hugging both of them. Keith laughed a little and accepted their affections easier than he thought he would.

"I'll be back…I promise," he whispered.

"Good," Hunk replied.

"If you don't I'm taking your bed," Pidge teased. Keith laughed whole-heartedly and let go of his friends.

"We'll be back," Lance spoke for him. Keith silently thanked him. His throat burned.

"We'll be here. Eating fries until we throw up, or until you guys get back. Whichever happens first," Hunk replied.

"Probably the throwing up," Pidge murmured. Keith smiled.

"Don't throw up too much," he managed. They nodded at him, and he looked to Thace. The older man merely looked between them all.

"Are we ready?" He asked. Lance took Keith's hands and they took a deep breath.

"Yeah."

 

* * *

 

"Where's Thace?" Zak rasped. He was the only one who didn't appear to be freezing his ass off. His body was wrapped in a pair of jeans and a hoodie compared to some guys with full on winter coats.

"Last time he texted he said he was back at base," Sendak reported.

"Good. Tell him to stay there until we get back," Zak instructed. Sendak nodded and did so immediately.

"Where's the witch? She said she would be here," Haxus grumbled.

"Haggar will be here soon," Zak hummed. 

     Then the door to the warehouse slid open with a bang. The chemist calmly walked out of the warehouse in her usual hippie cloak and white hair. Zak's men watched her carefully. They never fully trusted her, and she never trusted them at all. Her approach to Zak was slow and steady. When she stood in front of them she took down her hood to show her aged face. Her pale yellow irises the only indicator that she didn't have a full vision.

"Evening," she greeted. Zak smiled.

"What a pleasure to see you," he replied.

"I wish I could say the same," she said. Zak chuckled.

"Don't pretend like you'd want to see this face. You know what she did to it," he reminded her. Haggar lifted her head slightly and inhaled deeply.

"Why do you bring such a demented girl with you? Shouldn't she be off suffering somewhere else?" She asked. Zak frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"I can smell that brat whenever she's a hundred feet of me. Her scent is so particular. It makes my bones ache," she replied. Zak looked around.

"There she goes again. Crazy bitch," Haxus sighed.

"Sir, we've searched the perimeter. She's no where around here," Sendak assured Zak. The eldest man took a deep breath.

"Do you have it?" Zak asked. Haggar nodded and pulled a single package from her robe.

"Only one?" Haxus scoffed. Haggar turned her pale, owlish eyes to Haxus and he instantly froze.

"Perhaps you would like to carry all ten kilograms," she hissed. Haxus shrunk away from her and immediately turned into the warehouse.

"You finished up the formula?" Zak asked. Haggar returned her attention to him and nodded.

"It's more powerful than anything you've ever sold. It'll allow the blind to see stars, and the deaf to hear the wind. It's power to unlock the mind is unlike anything you've ever seen before. One gram will make you believe you've seen Jesus himself," Haggar described. Zak grinned.

"Perfect. Just what I need," he hummed. Haxus reemerged from the warehouse hauling a pallet out on a cart. On the pallet sat ten kilograms of the substance. They were all packaged like the one Haggar brought with her. Haxus panted as he brought it out.

"Here's…here's the drugs," he wheezed. Some other men walked over to help Haxus pull it all the way out.

"Idiot," Sendak sighed.

"Where are the others?" Haggar asked.

"They're on their way," Sendak assured her. She turned towards the sound of his voice and frowned.

"You smell like her…" she murmured. Sendak stiffened as she approached him and looked at Zak. He watched carefully.

"You mean Kaci?" He stated more than asked. Haggar nodded.

"You've been in contact with her recently," she announced.

"Thace and I spotted her at the liquor store downtown.

"Was that recent?"

"Somewhat."

"Funny. You seem unbothered by her," Haggar noticed.

"I wasn't the one she hurt," Sendak replied without hesitation.

"You have a point…" she nodded.

"Cut the Kaci talk. It's getting on my nerves," Zak grumbled.

"Yessir."

"Mmm…I still smell her," Haggar told him.

"Well she's not _here_ so shut it," Zak snapped. Haggar tsked and shook her head.

"Don't be so blind," she chided and patted his shoulder.

"You're the one who's blind," he growled.

"Only half blind, but that's better than being completely blind," she retorted. Zak sighed.

"Just. Stop. Talking," he said through clenched teeth.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," she sang.

"Shut it, you old hag!" He barked.

"Sir," Sendak interrupted.

"What?" Zak barked at him. Sendak pointed at the van pulling up to the curb. There was a motorcycle in front of it, and the rider pulled off his helmet. A wide grin met Zak and the others.

"Good evening, Zak. It's been a while," the man spoke. Zak smiled.

"Good evening indeed."

 

* * *

 

     Lance wasn't sure where he was or where he was going. Thace dropped Keith off a block away from the warehouse, and then turned around. He drove through some backroads until Lance could spot the back of what he assumed to be the warehouse through the trees. The car stopped before the moonlight could tough it, and Thace lead Lance out into the open. There was a ladder they climbed into to very top part of the ware house. They had the crawl in ordered to get to the edge. It was wet, cold, and musty. Water soaked into Lance's jeans as he crawled, and he was certain there was mud mixed in with it. When they got the other end of the warehouse there was a gated window. Thace pointed to a small opening at the corner of the warehouse.

"At the right time, climb down that ladder. You'll be on actual ground, and you can run out of the warehouse," he whispered really quietly. Lance nodded.

"You remember Keith's signal, right?"

"Right," Lance whispered back.

"He's gonna tuck his hair behind his ear just at the right moment we could call 911. If Zak can talk them out of arresting him-"

"Climb down and set him off," Lance finished for him. Thace nodded. "Where's Keith now?" He asked.

"Probably still on his way over here. It's a rather long block," Thace replied.

"I hope he's not too cold. I told him to wear two jackets, but he's so stubborn," Lance sighed.

"Shh…" Thace shushed quietly as they peered down through the window. 

     Zak stood out in the open with Sendak and a short woman with knotted white hair flowing from under her hood. Another man was approaching them with a leather jacket and leather riding pants. His boots clicked as he walked and his hair was a disheveled mess. Lance assumed that was the leader of the other gang. He watched the man carefully as he started to talk to Zak.

"I can't hear anything," Lance murmured.

"Neither can I, but we can see and that's the important part," Thace replied.

     Lance frowned, but continued watching regardless. The woman produced a package from her robes and held it out to the man in the leather jacket. He pulled a small but jagged knife from his belt, and ran it through the brown paper bag material. When he removed his knife it was covered in a fine light purple powder. There was laughter in the air before he lifted it to his nose and took a deep inhale. Lance couldn't see his face, but judging by Zak's smirk the other man was grinning. Then he was nodding. Zak said something to the man who continued to nod.

     There were three men pushing a pallet full of the substance. Packages upon packages piled on each other to fit on a single wooden pallet. The man in the leather jacket seemed to be out of it. He swayed as he stood and laughed so loud that Lance could hear it. Then he collapsed on the ground and rolled around laughing. Another man approached the bunch, also in a leather jacket, and helped the three men pushing the pallet towards the van on the curb. The man laughed again.

"You really outdid yourself this time, Zak!" He shouted as he giggled and rolled around more. 

     Zak looked to the woman next to him and then down at the hysterical man. He said something Lance couldn't make out. The gate prevented him from reading Zak's lips as well.

     Anxiety was creeping up Lance's spine. He was desperate to know what was happening. The lack of understanding lead him to so many questions. What where they discussing? Where was Keith? Have they seen him yet? Why was that man going absolutely nuts? All those questions made his heart raced as he kept his eyes glued on the situation.

"Shouldn't Keith be here?" Lance whispered.

"Patience. It hasn't been as long as you think it has," Thace assured him. Lance bit his lip nervously and continued to watch.

     Once the man settled down he was limb on the ground. Soon another man with yet another leather jacket approached the situation. He exchanged words with Zak, and then crouched down to examine the man. He pulled a small item Lance couldn't make out, and handed it to Zak. Then he got up and walked back to the van at the curb. The pallet of drugs were finally pushed to the edge and the van turned and backed out for easier access. The other man that handed Zak the item opened the back of the van. Then the team pushing the drugs dissembled and crowded around the opening of the van. They were pushing something out while Zak tucked the item in his back pocket. Just as the end of the pallet of money was insight from the van there was shouting.

"Get your hands off me! What the fuck is your problem!" Shouted a familiar voice.

     Lance let out a shaky exhale as he heard Keith's voice and looked around for the source. Soon enough there was a man with a strong grip on Keith's bicep dragging him along. He tossed Keith onto the ground in front of Zak.

"I found this brat poking around the warehouse. Any idea who this bastard is?" The man growled just loud enough for Lance to finally make out. Keith glared up at the man and then at Zak. Zak kneeled down with wide eyes and looked closer. Then he smiled.

"Aw, Kaci…did you miss me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any typos. I didn't really edit this…and by that I mean I didn't edit it at all.
> 
> But anyways
> 
> One chapter left? Maybe? Still working it out tbh lmaoooo


	25. Bittersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes to an end, but it's not all happy.

     Keith huffed. His breath visible in the cold night air. He kept his glare on those beady yellow eyes and only trembled in his breathing. Mostly because of his binder. Mostly. He then leaned away from the man so close to him.

"C'mon, Kaci. Don't be a stranger. I missed you," Zak spoke. His voice was like a worm wiggling its way through Keith's ears. He grimaced.

"Don't," was all Keith could say.

"Oh, right right…I forgot. Keith, is it?" Zak asked. He shivered at the sound of his name on those scarred lips. "Quite a handsome name for someone so pretty," Zak sighed and reached out to grab his chin. Keith slapped his hand away and crawled back before Zak could even touch him.

"Don't _touch_ me," he growled.

"Feisty still, are you?" Zak chuckled. "That's what I always loved about you…"

"You never loved me. You sicko," Keith spat. Zak laughed, but his fists tightened to suggest he wasn't very amused at all.

"And how would you know? You think you understand what love is?" Zak challenged. Keith was silent, but blushed anyways. Pale eyes narrowed while his jaw tightened. "You do. Don't you?" He murmured.

"I don't need to understand what love is to know you don't understand it either," Keith replied. Zak frowned.

"You've always had such a lovely flush," he said as he watched the red color spread over Keith's cheeks. "I used to be able to make you blush…do you remember? I could make your whole body flush just by looking at it," he sighed as his eyes wandered over Keith.

"I don't remember actually. I was pumped with drugs most of the time," Keith growled. Zak looked back at Keith.

"You wanted them. I was only trying to please you."

"Shut up! You manipulating-" Keith was cut off by a swift kick in the back. The man who dragged him there rammed his foot into Keith's spine. "Fuck!"

"Shut up, you brat," the man grumbled. 

     Zak stood up and walked over to Keith and the man. Keith expected to feel another sharp pain when he heard the sound of a fist against a skull. Keith looked over his shoulder to see the man knocked to the ground. Then Zak walked away from Keith.

"If _anyone_ fucking touches her again you're _dead!_ " he announced. Keith panted and pushed himself up to stand. Zak looked back at him and came closer. Keith stumbled back.  
"Please…come back to me," Zak pleaded. Keith glared up at him again.

"Why would I come back to a pedophile?" He replied. Zak's eyes widened with rage.

"You're such a little brat," he growled. Keith brushed his hair over his ear. He only hoped Thace and Lance got the signal. "You…you _wanted_  me! I made you fucking _happy!"_

"You ruined my life," Keith replied calmly.

"And you ruined mine!" Zak shouted. "You broke my heart, Kaci! You threw me away!"

"You don't have a heart. I don't need you," Keith said.

"Of course you don't need me! You've got some little Mexican kid with you!" Keith blushed, and that only made Zak angrier.

"Don't…d-don't talk about-"

"Lance? That's his name, isn't it!" Z0ak interrupted. Keith stumbled back again.

"H-he's none of your concern," Keith said.

"Of course he is! Do you think I'm a fucking idiot? You're obviously trying to replace me!" Zak bellowed. That struck a chord in Keith. He clenched his fists and stepped forward.

"Why the _hell_ would I want to replace you?" He growled. Zak didn't back off, and Keith tilted his head to look up at him. "Lance is more than twice the man you'll ever be."

"He's not even half my height," Zak snarled.

"You don't _own_ me, Zak! I'm. Not. Yours!" Keith said.

"Kaci-"

"If I wanted to replace you I would've fucking killed myself, because being with you was like dying!" Keith snapped. Zak was silent for a moment. The man on the ground who had tested the drugs finally got up and looked around.

"What's going on here?" He asked. Keith kept his eyes on Zak.

"Why did you come here tonight?" Zak asked.

"I didn't. I was dragged here," Keith replied.

"No you weren't. You were at the warehouse. Why?" He demanded to know. Keith was silent as he tried to think of something quick. "Spit it out!"

"I came…I-I came to tell you that…I'm done with you…for good," Keith said.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm over you. I'm over the shitty things you've done to me. I'm over having panic attacks whenever I think about you, but most of all I'm over you thinking that I still want you," he announced. Zak shook his head and smiled.

"No…Kaci, we'll always be _special_ ," he said. Keith looked down.

"Not anymore," he murmured. Zak's expression dropped.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Keith replied and turned away. Zak quickly grabbed his shoulder and jerked him back.

"Tell me what you _mean_ , Kaci!" He demanded.

"Let go of me!" He shouted and struggled in his grasp.

"Don't fucking tell me you had _sex_ with that guy! Don't tell me he stick his filthy dick in you! You're _mine_ , Kaci! You'll always be mine!"

"Clearly I'm not!" Keith spat.

"You're such a little brat. I should've never fallen for you-" 

     Zak stopped talking as the sound of sirens rang in the distance. The men off to the side were nearly finished pushing the drugs into the van, and hurried to get it all the way in. He could spot the blue and red lights in the distance and cursed under his breath.

"Well, while it's been fun watching you behave like a child, I believe it's time for me to go," Haggar said. Zak looked over his shoulder and watched the chemist disappear in a puff of smoke. He growled and tightened his grip on Kaci's shoulders.

"You little bitch!"

"Sir! Let's go! Get up!" Someone shouted at the man who was still recovering from the drugs.

"Sir, I do believe it would be best to remove your hands from Kaci," Sendak said as he put a hand on Zak's shoulder. Zak growled, but let go of Keith regardless. They glared at each other as the van roared to life and screeched as it zoomed off.

"You did this," Zak stated.

"I didn't do anything," Keith replied.

"Put your hands up where I can see them please," a voice announced from one of the police cars that parked where the van was. The other cars drove after the van as officers popped out and pointed their guns at the people left over.

"You'll always be mine, Kaci," Zak whispered.

"I said hands up!" A loud voice shouted.

"Keith!"

     It was like time froze. Keith fully turned towards the sound of that familiar voice and locked eyes with Lance. He heard nothing and he saw nothing except for the tan boy gripping the edge of the warehouse door frame. Seeing Lance again nearly knocked the wind right out of him. He wanted nothing more than to just run over and kiss him. Except his legs weren't working and all he could do was watch him as he stepped out into the open. Keith let out a breath and smiled with watery eyes.

"Lance," his voice cracked.

"Sir! Put the gun down!"

 

Gun?

 

     Suddenly there was a loud bang. Keith's ears rang and his vision went blurry with tears. What was that? What was happening? The only thing he could see was Lance on the ground. His legs wobbled and there were three bangs that followed the initial shot. A gasp was squeezed out of his lungs and he found the strength to wipe his eyes with trembling hands. The clearer picture wasn't any better.

"Thace! You idiot!" Sendak shouted. 

     It was the first hung Keith heard after the ringing in his ears started to fade. Thace stood where Lance once was with a dark stain over his heart. The skinny boy sat up and his jaw dropped when he saw the stain dripping down further. Keith couldn't stand anymore. His throat burned and he realized just how hard he was crying. He found the strength to walk towards Thace and Lance as Thace dropped down to his knees.

"Thace!" Lance gasped and scrambled to help him. "Shit!" He cursed. Keith finally managed to wobble over and immediately guided Thace down on his back. The pale boy bunched up his shirt and held it against the wound. Thace wheezed.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Keith gasped and sobbed as he desperately tried to keep pressure against the wound.

"'Ts okay, kid," Thace grunted.

"This is all my fault, I should've listened to you and waited," Lance said.

"No. Lance…" Thace reached out and Lance took his hand. He looked at Lance and grimaced in pain. "Do me a favor…have a long happy life with Keith…you both deserve it," he rasped.

"You can have a long happy life, too," Lance insisted. The paramedics were rushing over Thace and gently moving Lance to the side. "Thace!"

"I'm so sorry…" Keith sobbed as the paramedic moved his bloody hands out of the way.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I need to get to him," the lady whispered. Keith nodded and moved out of the way. They moved Thace onto a stretcher and then a gurney. He was wheeled to the ambulance and Keith and Lance chased after him.

"Keith…" Thace coughed as the pale boy ran next to him.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered.

"Don't…" he groaned loudly. "Promise me you won't blame yourself," he begged.

"Thace-"

"Promise me!" Thace snapped. Keith bit his lip in worry and pain.

"I promise," he replied. Thace's painful expression gave way to a slight smile as tears ran down his face. They stopped in front of the ambulance and Thace turned to Lance. He quickly handed him his wallet.

"Tell my girl I love her. T-tell her I'm sorry. Tell her…she was the most important thing to me," he said as the paramedics lifted him into the ambulance.

"Thace!" Lance shouted.

"Tell her!" Thace sobbed.

"I will," Lance panted before the paramedic doors shut.

     Without another word the ambulance drove off with Thace inside. Keith and Lance stood speechless with bloody hands and Thace's wallet. They watched the ambulance disappear and then they looked at each other. Heartbreaking silence filled the space between them before they did. Keith wrapped his arms tightly around Lance and sobbed into his neck. The skinny man did the same and squeezed Keith tightly.

"I-I…" Keith struggled to breath.

"I th-thought he sh-shot you."

"I'm so sorry. I should've waited longer. I just needed to see you and make sure you were okay," Lance whispered. His voice was breaking and cracking.

"I w-was s-s-so scared," Keith was visibly shaking in Lance's arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Keith."

"I-I love you…I love you…so much," Keith sobbed.

"I'm here. I love you," Lance huffed.

"I'm so glad you're alive," Keith sighed. Lance ran his fingers through Keith's hair.

"Me too. I'm glad you're alive."

 

* * *

 

     It took a couple days to get used to it. Not having to worry about Zak stalking him or watching him from afar. He didn't have to worry about Lance being abducted or even himself being abducted. Sometimes he woke up and he had to remind himself that Zak was dead. Sometimes he didn't want to remember because then he would be forced to remember Thace was dead too. He promised he wouldn't blame himself, but it was hard not to. The police told them that he died on the way to the hospital, and that the bullet was wedge right in his heart. That made Lance feel guilty.

     Both boys were equally affected by the series of events. Sendak and Haxus and the rest of the dealers were locked up, and the police managed to catch up with the van. Keith and Lance spent an hour in the back of a police car before an officer named Allura drove them back. Apparently she was the officer that took down Zak. She apologized for not being quick enough, but they both assured her it wasn't her fault. She drove them back to Red Robin's and explained to Shiro what had happened. While she did that Hunk and Pidge hugged their friends tightly and they all went home.

     Now Keith was sitting on the edge of his bed while Lance was fast asleep under his blanket. Pidge was typing away on her laptop doing homework, and he couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop replaying that moment over and over again. It was torturing him, and every time he closed his eyes he saw Lance standing frozen with Zak's gun pointed straight at him. He rubbed furiously at his eyes and clenched his teeth. Then the room went dark as Pidge closed her laptop, and he could hear her climbing down from her top bunk.

"I'm gonna get some chocolate milk. Do you want anything?" She asked.

"Maybe some water," he mumbled.

"Gotcha."

     She walked away and Keith heard the door open and close before sighing again. Lance shifted next to him and there was heat on Keith's lower back. The tan man touched his waist and then rubbed his shoulder. This wasn't the first time since it happened that Lance found Keith awake on the edge of the bed. He pushed himself up and moved to wrap his arms around Keith's waist.

"Hey," he spoke in a husky voice against Keith's neck.

"Hey," he mumbled and affectionately rubbed the arms around his waist.

"Aren't you tired?" Lance asked.

"Yeah."

"Did your session with the counselor help at all?"

"Not really…it usually takes a few sessions before I can actually feel results," he answered.

"Ah…how about the sleeping pills?"

"I'm immune to every kind by now," he sighed. Lance rubbed his back again and kissed his jaw.

"Then let's get relaxed. Lying down with your eyes closed is better than nothing," he whispered. Keith moaned in protest, but eventually allowed Lance to pull him under the covers with him. The skinny man pulled Keith's arms around his waist and he cradled his head to his chest.

"I'm right here, baby," he hummed.

"I can't stop seeing it," Keith said.

"Neither can I…"

"How do you sleep?" He asked. Lance played with the hairs on his nape.

"Well…it's different for me. Zak didn't abuse me like he did you…so it was more like just fearing for my life. Which…as stupid as it sounds, is kinda easier to get over than watching your abuser almost kill your boyfriend," Lance spoke softly. Keith nuzzled into his chest.

"I feel so bad about Thace," Keith whimpered.

"Something tells me that he was planning on that. His girlfriend said that he had spent so much time with her the past few days just spoiling her. He probably knew Zak was gonna kill someone and volunteered for it."

"I hate him so much…" Keith muttered.

"He's gone now. For good," Lance said comfortingly and kissed the top of his head.

"He's still in my head. He won't leave me alone."

"Hey…like…you're giving this guy a bit too much power. Zak? Pfff…lonely asshole who obsessed over you for years. Never let you go. Talk about pathetic. Plus only losers are named Zachary-"

"That wasn't his full name," Keith interrupted. Lance frowned.

"What was it then."

"His full name was Zarkon," Keith informed him. Lance instantly started bursted out laughing.

"Oh shit! No wonder he was so fucking moody. Geez, I'd be pissed all the time if I had a name like fucking _Zarkon_. Jesus Christ!" He chortled. Keith giggled a little and pulled back to look at Lance. Their eyes had adjusted to the dark enough that they could finally see each other.

"He told me never to tell anyone. Only Sendak knows," Keith said.

"For good fucking reason. Talk about the unsexiest name in the universe. Fucking _Zarkon_ , are you kidding me?" Lance continued. Keith grinned and reached out to touch lance's face. He sighed.

"I'm so glad you're alive," he whispered. Lance smiled back and pressed his forehead against Keith's.

"I'm glad you're alive too…"

"I love you," Keith murmured. Lance kissed him gently on the lips.

"I love you…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (SEASON 2 SPOILERS)
> 
> I s2g I wrote this ending well before season two came out how good was I at writing Thace without even knowing much about his character I mean I'm impressed with myself.
> 
>  
> 
> I also still need to write an epilogue but this is about it tbh


	26. Epilogue

     Five years. Five years, and Keith has never felt so free. After a year he graduated from college, and after two he officially stopped going to therapy. Three he moved in with the man he loves, and four years he said the two most bonding words in his father's old tux. Painted with the holy stained glass windows of the church, he slid a golden ring on Lance's finger and said "I do".

     So far, his life was perfect. They were still going through that phase of living paycheck to paycheck, but it was better than any future Keith thought he would've had. Shortly after graduating, he quit his job at Red Robin's and became a therapist to help victims of child grooming and abuse. His husband told him everyday how proud he was of the work he was doing. Meanwhile, Lance became a teacher at an elementary school. They were currently renting a house, but they were set on saving up and buying it for good.

     Hunk was a culinary god, and Pidge was an engineering genius. Shiro eventually quit his job at Red Robin's as well, but in his case he became a police officer. He had some encouragement from Keith and Lance, but mostly from his new girlfriend, Officer Allura.

     It was their one year wedding anniversary. Keith just finished wrapping up with one of his clients, and was being bombarded with texts from Lance. He smiled at the constant string of thought he was receiving from Lance. All his messages consisted of asking if he was home yet and that Lance had some kind of surprise for Keith. Eventually, Keith responded and assured his husband he would be home very soon. Lance continued to message him as he got into his car and he couldn't stop grinning. Five years of dating, one year of marriage, and Keith still felt as love struck as the first time he saw Lance in phycology class. He started up his car and drove out of the parking lot.

     A lot had happened since Zak died. His drug ring collapsed, and there was an increase in arrests the first three months after he passed. His team was found rather easily without Zak alive to protect them. Their hideouts were quickly discovered by police, and the area was cleared out before he had been dead a year. Thace was buried in a nearby cemetery. Keith and Lance visited it sometimes. Sometimes they found his last girlfriend there and they'd talk about things. It was sad, but it was peaceful. That's what Keith cared about.

     After Keith got out of therapy he noticed how much _happier_ he was. Years of working through his trauma and his anxiety really paid off when he got his first night of undisturbed sleep. He woke up that morning smiling and with more energy than he's had in years. Lance helped him celebrate that morning, again and again and again until they were too tired and too sore to "celebrate" again. Still they ended up celebrating again after dinner.

     Within the five years, Keith got his top surgery done. The recovery took a long time, but it felt so nice throwing his binders out afterwards. Lance was definitely happy with the operation since it meant he didn't have to worry about Keith wearing his binders for too long. He helped nurse Keith back to health everyday until Keith insisted that the doctor said he was fully healed. Still, even then Lance still spoon fed him soup before bed, and gently held him around his waist as they fell asleep. Keith went to sleep every night while he was recovering thinking about how lucky he was to have Lance with him through it all.

     Keith pulled up to the house he shared with his husband, and checked his phone as he got out of the car. A couple more messages popped up from Lance, but they were about their plans with Shiro and Allura that weekend. Keith figured it was easier to go inside and answer Lance's questions rather than text it out. He walked through the front door and was immediately greeted with a squawking noise from the kitchen.

"Don't come in yet! Fuck!" Lance cried. Keith frowned and closed the door.

"Uh, are you okay?" Keith asked.

"I'm fi-ow! I'm fine! Just…stay there!" He shouted. Keith decided not to listen to Lance, and instead entered the kitchen.

"What are you…" Keith trailed off as he watched Lance struggle putting a kitten in a box. He dropped his coat and his keys, and Lance gasped as the cat swatted at him again.

"Naughty!" He looked up at Keith. "Don't look! Shit!" He turned around with the cat and the box, and continued to struggle.

"Did you get…a cat?" Keith asked.

"AAAAAHAHAGGHHHHAAAAAAA NO I DIDNT WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT?" Lance replied. Keith smiled a little and walked over to the kitchen table where his husband was loosing a wrestling match with a kitten.

"Here," Keith gently took the kitten by the scruff of its neck from Lance, and then eased it into the box. When it's paws came in contact with the box, Keith gently petted where he gripped it. "You gotta be gentle," he said. Lance sighed.

"Thanks, babe," he said. Keith smiled.

"No problem. Why'd you need it in the box?" Keith asked.

"Well, I was _supposed_ to get her in the box before you came home, but…" Lance picked up a lid nearby and put it on top of the box. He then picked up the box all together and handed it to Keith. "Happy one year anniversary," he said sheepishly. Keith blinked at the box and then at Lance.

"Did you…did you seriously get me a cat?" He asked.

"Well, open the box and find out. She might be suffocating," Lance teased. Keith rolled his eyes and opened the box. He smiled down at the silver tabby and it meowed at him. Lance set down the box on the table and Keith picked up the kitten.

"But…I thought you wanted a dog," Keith said and held the kitten close to his chest.

"Yeah, well…I wanted to make you super happy more than I wanted a dog, so…we can wait for that," Lance told him. Keith looked up from the cat at Lance within an adoring expression.

"You're such a sap," he said with the biggest grin. Lance chuckled and shrugged.

"What can I say? I only want what's best for my husband," he hummed and pulled Keith closer by his waist. Keith accepted Lance's kiss but kept his focus on the kitten.

"She's so cute…we should name her something cool," Keith announced.

"How about Silverfoot?" Lance suggested.

"Mmmm…too obvious."

"Commander tinsel."

"Maybe."

"Professor silver bells."

"I liked the military title."

"Sargent Ag."

"How about Sargent Augustus?"

"She's a girl," Lance reminded him.

"You're right…but that's a really cool name."

"How about…Angela?" Lance rubbed his thumb against Keith's waist.

"Mmmm…" he bit his lip.

"Mmmmmmmmm?"

"I dunno…that sounds more like something I'd like to name like…a daughter," he replied. Lance blinked.

"You mean like…if we have a kid?" Lance question.

"I mean like _when_ we have a kid," Keith replied looked up at Lance. Suddenly Lance was really quiet. Keith furrowed his brows and tilted his head curiously.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Lance let his jaw drop, and he looked at Keith as if he just announced he was actually pregnant. Which wouldn't make sense since the testosterone made him sterile.

"Hello? Earth to Lance," Keith reached up and flicked his husband in the head. Lance shook his head and then smiled really wide.

"Sorry, I just…wow…you really wanna do this with me, huh?" He said. Keith lifted a brow as Lance held him closer.

"Do what with you?" Keith questioned.

"Stay with me…start a family with me…live the rest of your life with me," he murmured and pressed his forehead against Keith's. The pale man grinned and bit his lip.

"Of course I do. I didn't marry you for fun," Keith replied. Lance laughed.

"Could've fooled me. Once we left the church for our honeymoon it seemed like all we did was 'for fun'," he said. Keith blushed and rolled his eyes.

"C'mon. That's just the honeymoon phase," he murmured. Lance rubbed his nose against Keith's.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm still in the honeymoon phase," Lance said.

"Just remember we got in an argument over you buying too much cereal when we went grocery shopping," Keith told him.

"Ouch. It hurts just remembering that," Lance hissed.

"Which part? The yelling and emotional turmoil, or the aggressive makeup sex we had for two weeks afterwards?" Keith asked. Lance smiled again.

"Both…but mostly the makeup sex." Keith hit his shoulder.

"Lets get this baby comfortable before you get too carried away," Keith said.

     They put the kitten in their guest bedroom. Her litter box and bed were already situated in the corner of the room, and her toys were still in their packages on the bed. Keith played with her for a little while before she settled down and napped on her bed. The moment Keith stood up there were arms around his waist again. Lance held him from behind and kissed a path up his neck.

"Hey…you come here often?" Lance whispered in his ear.

“Shouldn’t you at least treat me to dinner first?” Keith responded teasingly.

“Honey, this _is_ dinner.”

     Keith giggled and turned around. The tall man greeted him with a kiss, and Keith gently held Lance's hips. Tan arms slid around Keith's neck, and he started to loosen the knot around his neck. Keith bit Lance's lip as he let him pull off his tie and undo the first button of his shirt. Pale fingers found their own way under Lance’s teeshirt, and they were suddenly on the bed. A smile spread across Keith’s face as his husband continued to undress him. He was still pushing up that old faded teeshirt, and touched down beautiful bronze skin.

“Are we really gonna fuck in front of the cat?” Lance asked and tugged the sleeves down Keith’s arms.

“Do you really care? She’s a cat,” Keith replied and finished pulling off the fabric completely. Lance bit his lip at the broad expansion of Keith’s flat chest.

“Good point,” Lance murmured.

     Soon their shirts were on the floor, and Keith was impatiently undoing Lances jeans. He pushed them down his tan thighs and kissed down his abdomen until he reached his boxers. Lance held himself up on his elbows to watch Keith kiss his legs and caress his hips. Navy eyes flicked up at him, and he smiled slightly. Then Keith crawled back up to his lips and kissed him sweetly on the mouth.

“I’m so glad I have you,” he whispered against Lance’s lips. The room was silent for a moment before Lance grinned and wrapped his arms around Keith’s neck.

“I’m so glad I have you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I’ve been busy with getting my life together after high school. I hope you all enjoyed <3
> 
> Hmu:  
> Snapchat: ksenialynns  
> Insta: lynnart1998  
> Tumblr: fryingpansscrap.tumblr.com
> 
> I also have a Patreon now!  
> patreon.com/lynner

**Author's Note:**

> If you want more scream at me
> 
> Snapchat: ksenialynns
> 
> Twitter: @n0t_an_artist


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